Plausible Deniability
by enzosprite
Summary: Sam and Jack decide to make a go of it in an unusual way. Poor Daniel suffers through it. Season 7. Peppered with Action, Angst, and a bit of Humour.
1. Grace

**Author's Note: I wrote this about 8 years ago and it's been sitting on my hard drive gathering dust. Testing the waters if it's worth continuing. The plot has been done to death, written by much better authors than me, nothing original here, just my own take on a well trodden genre. Enjoy!**

**Update: **_Sorry for the wonky formatting. FF seems to LOVE deleting ASCII characters for some bizarro reason and my fics are left without proper paragraph breaks. Hopefully this version is much easier to read._

* * *

"Don't you think it's weird that in all the alternate realities we've encountered, the two of us are together?"

They sat together against a fallen log, Commander and 2IC, staring up at another alien night sky. They could hear Daniel snoring in the background, Teal'c doing his kelno'reem whilst the two of them kind of guarded the perimeter. Emphasis on the 'kind of'.

In truth, there wasn't much to guard, the UAV had detected no sentient life forms in the vicinity and this mission was turning out to be another camp out in the forest of, well, trees.

It was therefore perfect for what Sam Carter had in mind.

Jack O'Neill cleared his throat. "To be fair, Carter, we've only seen two other realities, not exactly a great basis for extrapolation."

Sam gave him a surprised look and he shrugged, silently telling her that he wasn't in the mood to play the dumb soldier. Maybe he sensed that what she wanted to talk about tonight was of some importance.

"Maybe..." she admitted, "But if we count this reality, then that would give us another point to extrapolate from, which means we can get something more than a straight line."

This time it was Jack who gave her a surprised look. "Carter, maybe I'm missing something here-"

Sam looked down where her hands was playing with a piece of loose material from her BDU and interrupted him. "You and I both know that if we hadn't decided to keep everything locked up in that room you and I would be together now."

She finally summoned up the courage to look him in the eyes. "We would have caved eventually and one of us," she laughed, "Probably you, would be sitting in Leavenworth, and I'd be out of the Air Force with a baby in tow."

Jack laughed with her. "Nah, I'd dial up the most distant gate address I could find and hot-tail it out of Dodge. How's the Asgard homeworld for you? We could show them what they're missing with all that cloning nonsense!"

Her smile faded somewhat. "I think I've caved, sir. Despite having left it all in the room."

Jack's handsome face marred into a frown. "What's changed, Carter? These kinda things usually have a," he searched for the correct term, "Trigger? For want of a better word, to set it off."

Sam recalled her conversation with the imaginary Jack on the Prometheus. Jack was a safe bet for her affections because he was unobtainable, and by setting her sights on him, she could avoid getting involved with someone else and potentially getting hurt.

But Jack was only safe if she never acknowledged to him what she felt, and hopefully, what *he* felt for her. She didn't want anyone else, and that was the problem. If it were just a matter of using Jack as an excuse then it would make things so much easier; She could move on and that would be that.

She loved him though. Anything with anyone else would still be just settling and not the crazy, insane, not to mention illegal love that would make her deliriously happy with Jack. There would be pain, loneliness, even abject misery, but it would be so worth it. Imaginary Jack had been right, *he* wasn't the problem, it was Sam's own cowardly heart.

Jack wasn't a safe bet, he was the most dangerous thing in her life and she was in love with him.

"It was on the Prometheus. I was tired and confused and I thought that I was avoiding getting hurt by setting my sights on you."

"Oh," he said not pretending to understand.

"But I was already hurting, Jack. I was living this content life not knowing the difference between happiness and misery. I've learned that a very fine line separates them."

"I don't really understand, Carter. What is it do you want to happen here?" He indicated in the space between them.

"I want us to let go of things that prevent us from finding happiness," she quoted Jacob. "I want someone to love and be loved in return."

Jack stared hard at her. "There's still the regulations. Nothing has changed."

"No, but it doesn't break any rules, does it, to know that someone loves you?"

"I think it's a fine line," he reminded her of her earlier words.

"True, but how exactly do you prosecute someone for having feelings?"

"What makes you believe that by saying the words, it would just end there?"

"I don't know anything, sir" she lapsed back to her formal address for him. "I only know that it's no longer working, pretending that nothing's there."

They remained silent for a long time, digesting the implications of what Sam had brought up. For so long they'd avoided having this talk, this very dangerous talk. As long as each didn't know how the other felt, beyond mere speculation, the thing between them was deniable.

The two of them hadn't moved from their spot, still sitting side by side, the canopy of stars above them, the small camp fire giving a bit of warmth. The only difference this time was that they were holding hands.

* * *

"Wow... A toothbrush! I don't know what to say, Daniel."

"Say, 'What kind of shi-'"

"Colonel!" Sam interrupted the insult to Daniel with a look that said 'Behave!'.

"It's not just a toothbrush," Daniel was used to the insults by now and didn't take any real offense. "It features multiple brushing modes, removes plaque, helps with tooth decay, AND removable heads," Daniel explained further, excitement tinging his voice.

"Daniel, I think you've put too much thought into that for it to be considered healthy!" Jack just couldn't help himself.

"Removable heads, you say?" Sam pretended not to have heard Jack. She was getting rather good at that.

"That was the main feature I was looking for. I got one for Jack too, so that when you guys stay over at each others' place, you don't need to keep borrowing Jack's toothbrush and vice versa... It was kinda getting gross. What?" His two friends were giving him a strange look. "What did I say?"

"Gross?" Jack repeated.

Well, it was. It was one thing to kiss someone, it was another to share toothbrushes and he'd seen Sam use Jack's toothbrush a couple of times after chow time during their frequent team nights. And last time he'd checked, Sam and Jack weren't doing any kissing.

Well there was the pecks on the cheeks of course. The hugging. The arms around each other, sharing drinks, food, clothes...

He'd seen Sam with Jack's t-shirt a few times and a part of him found it kind of disturbing. Was it normal for two supposedly platonic friends to share that much? All he knew for sure was that something had changed recently, something that had drastically altered the dynamic between Sam and Jack.

Daniel couldn't really pinpoint the when and where. In the field, they were professional enough. In fact, now that he thought about it, there was a certain freshness to their attitudes when they were out there as SG-1. There was an alertness and excitement that had waned as the years and battles had mounted. Now it was back with a vengeance and he couldn't help but feel that it was related to what was happening between his two friends. To some extent it was exhilarating. It was nice to have all that energy back in the team again.

"Look, Jack. Just say 'Thank You, Daniel' and accept my gift gracefully. You do know how to do that right?"

Jack just glared at him and shifted uncomfortably on Daniel's couch.

Sam poked him.

"Ow! What was that for!" Jack rubbed his injured side.

"Thank you, Daniel. The Colonel appreciates his gift."

"I do no-" O'Neill wasn't able to continue as his second in command had smacked him with a decorative pillow on the face.

Daniel couldn't help but roll his eyes at their antics. He left them in his apartment living room to find some take-out menus. It was a Saturday evening and he had invited Sam and Jack to his place for some company. Predictably, as it seemed these days, the two arrived together in Jack's gas guzzler dressed in civvies and apparently just come back from a hike. It was so damned normal that Daniel was tempted to call the base and ask if the REAL Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter could please stand up.

"Yo, Danny! What's taking so long? We're starving here."

"Hold your horses, you pain in the Mikta," Daniel mumbled as he pulled out the menus from a desk drawer.

* * *

"I think we're freaking Daniel out," Jack told her as he lay stretched out on the archeologist's sofa, his head on Sam's lap. She was absently playing with his short hair whilst flipping through channels on Daniel's TV.

"Ya, think?" She replied. God, they were starting to sound alike. No wonder Daniel thought they were crazy.

"You think we should tell him about us?" He asked after a beat. He grabbed the remote from her hand changed it back to a re-run of the Simpsons. The new episodes weren't on on Saturdays.

"Us?" She quirked an eyebrow. "Technically, there isn't an 'us'."

Jack snorted. "Only technically."

"Sir, is that even a good idea?"

"Listen, Carter. Daniel's going nutso. It's driving him crazy not being able to ask what's going on. For cryin' out loud, he bought us TOOTHBRUSHES!"

She gave a short laugh. "I guess that his not so subtle way of telling us he's definitely noticed."

"Hell, Carter, we haven't exactly been subtle around him. We've been using him as a damned chaperone. We gotta tell him something."

"Tell me what?" Daniel had stepped back into the room and were giving them a inquiring look. "Here's the menus," he said tossing the items on his coffee table. "We're not having Chinese again. So don't bother asking."

Jack got up from Sam's lap and reached for the menus Daniel had dumped on the table. "Fine by me. We had Chinese last night with Teal'c at Hong Kong's."

Daniel frowned at Jack as the older man perused the Thai menu. Sam had seen the incredulous look on the archaeologist's face and knew they'd have to put Daniel out of his misery soon or the man would blow up.

To be fair, Daniel had been incredibly patient over the past few weeks, only raising his eyebrows at their less than subtle behavior. He trusted her and Jack to tell him what was going on in their own time... If ever. Daniel was a wonderful friend, their best friend, and Jack was right that they should let him in the loop.

"I think I'm gonna go for a Pad Thai, babe. What do you think?" Jack asked her without preamble.

"BABE?" Daniel spat out.

Well, Jack had certainly decided now was the right time.

"Don't get your panties in a twist, Daniel. Sam will explain later."

The Major in question scoffed. "Thanks a lot, Jack."

"I pride myself for my delegation skills, if you must know. It's what makes me such a great commander."

Daniel rolled his eyes and Sam muttered, "Oh, brother!" The man certainly had an ego on him.

The food came and went, Daniel plowing through his food eager to know what the hell was going on with his friends. Either Jack and Sam had completely gone off the deep end and decided to screw the regulations all together or there was some Alien Influence involved and it made him eat faster if only to get to the phone and call the base.

Jack and Sam seemed far too relax. Shouldn't they be a little bit nervous like he was? After all, if what he'd surmised was correct, this was BIG! Momentous and life altering. Sam and Jack: Together.

"Geez, Daniel. You trying to give yourself a heart burn?"

"I'll be fine. When are you going to tell me what I want to know?"

Jack sighed and looked to Sam asking if she were ready to get this over with. He saw her swallow the last of her food and put her fork down on her empty plate. He nodded at her in encouragement and she cleared her throat before beginning.

"Well, Daniel, I guess you haven't failed to notice the change in our relationship-"

Daniel snorted. Jack glared at him. Sam continued on.

"And to be honest, we weren't really hiding it from you. From any of you guys. See the thing is, nothing much has really changed except that we both know how we feel about each other. I love Jack and he loves me. We want to be together in every possible way. We both know that it's not possible right now, but we're done putting our feelings on hold. I want Jack to know how I feel about him and what he feels for me. There's no one else for both of us, and while we can't share our feelings physically, we refuse to not show them emotionally."

Daniel sat there dumbstruck. He blinked owlishly at them for a few seconds before saying, "So, you're not having sex?"

Jack choked on his beer. Sam quickly handed him a napkin, and dabbed at the spillage on his shirt herself.

"No, Daniel. Jack and I are not having sex. That would be against the regs."

Daniel stared at them as if they were both crazy. "But-but, that's just semantics! You're in love with each other, you act all... You know... In front of me, that's just as bad!"

"Daniel!" Jack reigned in his temper. Getting angry at spacemonkey wouldn't accomplish anything.

"Daniel," he said more calmly. "It's a 'fine line' okay? We've cared for each other a long time now, and it hasn't affected our working relationship thus far. In the base, me and Carter are gonna be just like we've always been before. This won't affect the team. But outside... Look Daniel, the reason we're telling you this is because you're...Ya know? Anyway, you deserve to know about this. We need you to be there to help us walk the line. Make sure we don't cross it when we really want to."

He sighed. "I don't know what to say, Jack! You're asking me to be your chaperone, to help you not break the regs when in my opinion you already are."

Jack pushed angrily away from the table, quickly standing up. "For crying out loud! This was a mistake, Carter-"

"Sir-"

"Would you let me finish!" Daniel yelled at his friends. "I didn't say I disapproved," he motioned at both of them. "Of the two of you. I'm just saying that other people might not see it your way. They won't believe that a sexual relationship doesn't exist and all they'll see are two people very much in love and they must be doing it!"

"Well, then they would be wrong!" Jack said vehemently.

"But you have to admit," Daniel pressed on, "That the spirit of the frat regs have already been broken."

"Then they've been broken a long time ago." Sam answered. "But try proving that in a court martial."

"Okay! Okay!" Daniel raised his hands in defeat. "So, you've thought this through. But I'm still not convinced that you won't get in trouble if you keep behaving like this."

"What do you suggest then," Jack asked retaking his seat.

"All I'm thinking is that we have to set some ground rules for, *ahem*, breaking the rules."

Jack shook his head. "Fire away."

"Well for one, no public displays of affection."

"Does yours and our places count?" Jack interrupted.

"Would you shut up! And, NO, those aren't public places. TWO. You can't spend too much time together. Not alone anyway. One of us will have to be with you. So, no more private trips together, it's not normal for you guys."

Sam and Jack had to smile at that. The two of them would never classify as normal.

"What's number three then?" Sam asked.

"Number three. Number three is... We don't get caught! And if we do, everyone keeps their mouth shut."

"Danny, I didn't know you had it in you!" Jack remarked admiringly.

" Seriously, guys. I like SG-1 as it is. I'm not prepared to break in more fly boys, er, and girls. We've never had this conversation, okay? The two of you can't go all noble on us and accept the blame for everything if the shit hits the fan."

"But-"

"No, Jack! I mean it. Either we do it this way, or you guys go it alone without me."

Jack looked about to argue some more when Sam halted him with a hand on his shoulder. She and Daniel knew that Jack didn't like ultimatums from anyone, even from his friends. But just this once he needed to swallow his pride and just accept that they needed their friends to pull this off. The whole point was to stop hiding their feelings, but at the same time, keep SG-1 together.

* * *

Jack O'Neill was missing and Sam Carter was terrified.

Ever since her experience on the Prometheus and their decision to finally admit their feelings openly to each other, they'd been inseparable. When they weren't together at work, they were together at each other's place or at Daniel's. The only time they were forced to be apart was when the evenings ended and they had to retire separately to bed.

It was so hard obeying the rules, seeing the look of desperation and desire on his face most likely reflecting her own. She so wanted to just cross that final barrier and leap into bed with him, abandoning the military regulations with their clothing and just make sweet love to him.

It would be so good with Jack. She knew it from the way he touched her, the way he looked at her, and the way he felt against her when she snuggled close to him on the couch. As per the rules, one of the guys would always be there, but it never stopped Jack from letting her feel exactly what he wanted to do to her with his body.

She would shift against him, pressing her body closer and his hard arousal would be unmistakable. He always felt large against her and she often wondered how he managed to look so calm and in control when she was burning inside, feeling so empty, so bereft from his absence inside her.

Everyday felt so painful, so frustrating, but she'd also never felt so happy and complete in all her life. His love and desire for her soothed away most of the pain if not all of it. As long as they were together she felt she could get through anything.

But now, he was gone. She'd woken up early in his guest bedroom two days before intending to sneak into bed with him just to cuddle. Daniel was in the living room sleeping on the pull out sofa, so they weren't technically alone.

She'd found the bed empty and cold. Jack wasn't in the house and his truck was parked outside in the driveway. His running shoes were still in the hall closet as were his rollerblades. His bike was in the garage. She'd started to panic then.

After reporting the Colonel missing to Hammond, a forensic team had been sent to Jack's place to see if there was any sign of a struggle or clues to who could've taken him. They'd found none and SG-1 immediately suspected the culprits were otherworldly.

It wasn't the first time that one of their allies, namely the Asgard, had taken Colonel O'Neill without permission, but Jack usually made sure that he let Hammond know where he was and what he was doing. This time there was no message. Nothing to let them know that he was okay and with the Asgard.

Sam only hoped that it was the Asgard and not someone nefarious like the Goa'uld.

* * *

"Thor?"

"O'Neill."

"What am I doing on your ship?"

"I am sorry, O'Neill. But Loki was able to return with a ship and has performed another unsanctioned experiment on you."

Ah, the Asgard, straight to the point. "You don't say." He couldn't help but notice that he was on one of those floating gurneys again. "I assume that you've stopped or at least reversed whatever it was he did to me this time."

"I cannot say that, O'Neill. We did not know of Loki's actions until your General Hammond informed us that you had gone missing."

"Oh."

Jack cleared his throat. "What's the damage this time then? Another clone?"

"No, O'Neill. Loki has decided to pursue a different line of research. He was assisted by another Asgard, Idun."

"Ah!" Pause. "Idun?"

"Like Loki, most Asgard scientists believe that genetic manipulation is the key to discovering a solution to our physiological degeneration. However, some, like Idun have pursued other research. Most notably in Idun's case, cellular senescence and preservation."

"What? He wants to pickle me or something?"

Thor ignored his barbed comment. "Idun was inspired by your young clone. She has found a way to reverse cellular degeneration without the aid of cloning technology and had hoped with Loki's help, would find a method of regenerating cells at a predetermined point."

Jack decided to stop playing dumb. He was getting that bad feeling in the pit of his stomach and had an inkling of where Thor was going with this. "I can see why Loki would be interested in this Idun's research. If she succeeds, the Asgard wouldn't have to clone themselves, would they? They could just wave a wand and voilá! Regenerated Asgard."

"You are correct, O'Neill. While this would not solve our current genetic problems, it would halt further genetic degradation giving us more time to find a solution."

"Great, plan! So, where do I fit in all of this?"

"Loki could not locate your clone and was forced to use the original once again. We apologize, O'Neill, but we did not get to you in time and the procedure is complete. I regret that Idun will not be punished, her research is too valuable and the Asgard need her expertise."

"Soooo? Because Idun and Loki actually succeeded they're just gonna go on their way scot-free!"

"We ask that you understand."

"Ya know, Thor, old buddy, I really, really, DON'T! You guys can't keep doing this. Playing with me like some high school experiment. Can't you find some random human on another planet and play with THEIR genes?"

"You are unique," Thor simply replied.

"See, I think you're wrong about that. Six billion humans on Earth, there must be other subjects you can play with."

The supreme commander of the Asgard fleet turned his back on Jack and begun moving stones on a control panel. "I have informed General Hammond that I will be returning you to your facility's infirmary. Goodbye, O'Neill."

And before Jack could say a word, in a blink he was back at the SGC with a startled Doc Fraiser.

SJSJSJSJSJSJSJSJSJSJ

"Holy Hannah! What the hell happened to you?"

She hadn't meant to say it that way, but she'd imagined so many bad things, and this wasn't so bad. Not really.

For a second, Jack look terrified. She watched him look at his limbs as if expecting to have grown a new one.

"What? Please tell me I don't have a tail!" He tried to turn his torso in an unnatural angle to see for himself. Sam was tempted to tease him, but she saw that he was genuinely concerned and just couldn't do that to him. Besides, Thor had sent word that the Colonel was fine, he just hadn't informed them of what had been done to him.

"No, sir. No tail. But I think you might want to, um, shave."

"Hmm?" he gave her a questioning look and ran both hands to his cheek. "How many days?"

How many years? She wondered silently. "A week, sir."

Jack groaned. "Ah, crap! I'm gonna have to use scissors."

Sam looked behind her, seeing that no one was about, she left the foot of the bed and sat next to Jack. "How are you feeling? Really."

He picked up her hand and entwined it with his. "Fine. Really. I have Doc's word that I'll be okay."

She smiled for the first time in a week. "Well, if Janet says so..."

He sighed deeply. "God I wish we were somewhere else and I can really show you how I'm really feeling."

Sam swallowed her frustration. "I missed you so much. I was terrified something horrible happened to you."

"Me too, baby. To be honest, I'm still a bit concerned."

She stared at his bearded face, concern warring with humor, succumbing to the urge to comb through his long thick hair.

Jack stared at her wide eyed. "Carter?"

"Sir."

"Get me a mirror, now."

A grin slipped from her lips. "You sure you're ready?"

He gulped. "Is it that bad?"

She shrugged. "Depends on your definition of 'Bad'."

"Carter!" He almost growled.

She pulled away from him and went in search of a small mirror. She was pretty sure Janet had one around the infirmary.

Jack was a bit disturbed by Carter's expression. She didn't look terribly concerned, by the way she kept smirking, but with the beard and the all the hair, he was starting to get visions of planet of the apes. He was pretty sure Carter wouldn't find it so funny if he'd been turned into a monkey, so he dismissed that thought. It couldn't be too bad. Could it?

"There you go sir!" Sam had returned with a small two faced mirror with Frasier in tow. This time, both women were openly smiling and it scared him a little.

"I've only ever seen you smile like that when you're about to plunge a large needle into my ass."

Janet Fraiser raised an eyebrow, but refrained from saying anything.

Right. Let's get this over with, he thought to himself. He took a look at his reflection. The first thought that came to mind was that Loki and Idun had switched professions and had gone into hairdressing. Then he looked closer and saw the difference.

"Did my buddy Thor say anything about how far back they... reversed me?" He didn't even know if they had a term for what the Asgard had done to him.

"Sorry, Colonel. I guess you just have to figure that out yourself." She pulled out her trusty pen light and Jack let out a groan.

* * *

Sam reached behind her and locked the locker room door. Since Daniel and Teal'c were out with another SG team she and Jack had sole use. Doctor Fraiser had finally released Jack and he was literally itching to get rid of his beard.

"Definitely gonna need scissors. Or maybe a weed whacker," Jack muttered, rubbing at his beard.

"You need any help?" She approached from behind and wrapped her arms around his trim waist snuggling into his back. She breathed in his smell, getting dizzy from the sudden desire that surged through her body.

Jack turned in her arms so that he was looking down at her and promptly captured her mouth with his. The kiss was hungry, his mouth devouring hers, their tongues tangling and massaging. Her hands were everywhere, tugging at his shirt, then slipping underneath to caress his smoothly muscled back.

His hands weren't idle either. He was groping her buttocks, pressing their lower halves together, causing friction and Sam moaned at the thought of him pulling her pants and panties down and taking her hard against the concrete.

"God, Jack... I want you so much." She panted in his ear while he laved at her neck.

"I know, baby, I know," He said between kisses.

She didn't want him to stop. She wished that he would just forget his duty and honor just once and fuck his 2IC, give them both the release they so craved. She felt him rest his head on her shoulder, his breath coming in shallow pants. Sam felt tears forming in her eyes.

She sniffed away her frustration and gently pulled away from her almost lover. "Come on, let's take care of that beard of yours."

"I'm gonna take a shower first. Softens the hairs."

She nodded and took a seat on one of the benches. She watched him pull off his shirt and couldn't help but gasp. Ho-ly Hannah!

"Nice! I was never this fit before, I would've had to swear off beer." And god forbid Jack O'Neill didn't have a Guinness or three after a stressful mission.

He looked over at her and smirked as he untied the cord of his sweat pants and slowly lowered it down his hips. He was wearing loose fitting boxers underneath but it failed to conceal the large mass tenting the front, his arousal trying valiantly to push out of its confines.

Sam grinned back at him. "You think they made improvements down there too?"

"You're an evil woman, Samantha Carter. Just for that, I'm not gonna tell you."

He turned his back on her and dropped his boxers, giving her a tantalizing, but very brief view of his firm ass which he quickly covered up with a towel cinched around his hips.

"Hey, I wanted to see that!"

Jack laughed at her pouting tone. "Gotta keep you guessing, woman, or you'll be walking all over me."

He stepped into the shower and pulled the curtain close. She saw the white towel emerge a moment later and put into a hook. He was naked in there, hot water pounding on his hard body, running down his beautiful torso, all the way to his long athletic legs. Then there was his arousal. She felt that familiar surge once again and was sorely tempted to just strip and jump in the stall with him.

Sam didn't realize she'd been sitting there gripping the wooden bench, so deep in her thoughts of him, until Jack pulled the shower curtain aside and stepped out dripping wet, hair slicked back, giving her exactly what she'd been fantasizing about. Oooh, boy! Did she need a better imagination.

The look she gave him could only be described as sultry. "You sure they didn't make any enhancements down there?" She was sure she'd licked her lips, staring unabashedly at his semi-erect shaft.

Jack just smirked at her. The man was good at smirking. "Afraid not. All natural down here, " He said rubbing the towel through his hair. "You wanna grab those scissors and get this beard out of the way?"

He'd wrapped the towel once more low around his hips and made his way to the sink area where he'd left his shaving kit. Sam closed her eyes tightly, dispelling the image of her commanding officer in his full naked glory, before getting up and following Jack to the sink.

It was a good thing that she was only a few inches shorter than him. She was wearing combat boots and he was still barefooted, so they were almost eye to eye making what she had to do a lot easier. He stood very still, quite unusual for Jack who fiddled almost constantly. She started on his left cheek, pulling gently on a clump of hairs and snipping off as close to his skin as possible. She continued with this until she was satisfied that his blades could do the rest and put the scissors on the shelf over the basin.

She took a good look at his much less hairy face and had to remind herself that they were still on base, he was still very much her CO and mauling him right there and then would be a very bad idea. Just a bit.

"You're looking at me like I'm a nice juicy steak, Carter. Want to share what's going on in that big brain of yours?"

"If I tell you, would you actually do anything about it?" She asked with just a hint of frustration seeping into her voice.

Jack looked hard at her, that same expression from when they'd been separated by a forcefield making a reappearance. "Trust me, Carter, I'm so weak right now I can't even see that line we've been trying not to cross."

She reached out to his naked chest. "I'm weak too, Jack. This past week has been so hard without you. It made me realize just how much I need you."

Sam saw the instant his will broke, he was going to do it, make love to her-

"Helloooo! Sam! We've been waiting out here for 20 minutes, you done in there yet?"

Daniel.

Shit.

The haze of desire cleared from his eyes and he stepped back from Sam, her hand falling away from his chest. "Better let them in, Carter, before Danny gets any ideas."

Right. The Rules. Daniel would not be impressed.

When the hell did she need anyone's approval anyway? Oh, yes. When she and Jack decided to make them accomplices to their Court Martial.

Sam unlocked the door and let the guys in. Daniel dropping his pack by the door, Teal'c walking sedately behind him.

"You would not believe the stuff we saw- Jack?!"

"Heeee's baaack!" Jack said smiling.

"Oh my god!" Daniel exclaimed, rushing quickly to his friend and enveloping him in a brief hug. "How come no one told us? Teal'c, did you know he was back?"

A small smile graced the big man's lips. "I did not, DanielJackson." He nodded to Jack. "It is good to have you back, O'Neill."

"Same here, buddy."

"What's with the-" Daniel made motions at his own cleanly shaven cheeks. He took a better look at Jack. "And, uh, the-the hair? It's brown!"

"Long story, Danny. We've got a briefing in an hour, so better clean up."

"Yeah..." Daniel agreed still fixed on Jack's change in appearance. Teal'c pushed him forward towards his locker and Daniel shuffled slowly, still staring at Jack. He frowned. "Asgard?"

"Yeah, sure, you betcha!"

* * *

"... So to make a long story short, the little guys figured the best way to stave off their cloning problem is to not clone at all!"

Daniel was perched on the edge of his seat whilst Jack explained what the Asgard had done to him. He looked about to explode with all sorts of questions.

Jack looked over to him, fingers steepled, and calmly asked, "You have a question, Daniel?"

"Do you realize what this means?!" Daniel bursted out.

Jack frowned at him. "Not that kind of question."

Daniel ignored him and stood up to pace in excitement. "It's like the fountain of youth. Can you imagine the applications of this. They-they can continuously regenerate cells-"

"I realize that, Daniel. But I doubt the Asgard will be sharing this particular piece of technology with anyone," Jack grimaced. "I just happen to be their favorite 'unique' guinea pig, and frankly it's not that flattering."

Daniel's enthusiasm deflated a little and he sat back down on his seat.

General Hammond finally spoke up when it was apparent that Daniel wasn't going to say anything else. "What we should really be discussing is how this is going to affect you, Colonel."

Jack gave him a questioning look.

"Your appearance," Hammond pointed out.

"Ah!" Jack said making a pained face. Maybe he could grow a beard and dye his hair?

"Maybe they'll think he had something done?" Janet suggested. Jack glared at her. "Surgically, I mean," She clarified further.

"For crying out loud," Jack muttered under his breath.

"Or maybe no one will actually comment on it?" Daniel offered. "I mean, it's not like Jack socializes with that many people outside of the SGC. Most casual acquaintance would be too polite to probe deeply if he got 'something done'," He looked over at Jack," AND you don't have any close family that would ask any questions, do you?"

Jack nodded. "Sara moved out of state a few years back." SG-1 was his family now.

"What do you think, Carter?" Jack asked his 2IC. She and Teal'c were the only two that hadn't spoken yet. That wasn't very unusual for Teal'c, but Carter usually had something to say, specially on scientific matters.

"I think Daniel's right, sir. As long as you act normal then most people won't question it." She couldn't help add, "A lot of people get extreme makeovers these days."

Both Daniel and Janet covered their mouths to hide their smiles. Jack certainly didn't look amused by his second in command's insubordinate comment.

Once Daniel recovered he quickly jumped on Sam's idea."That's a really good point, Sam. We could leak out a rumor that Jack sustained some sort of facial injury?" He looked to Janet and when she nodded, he continued. "So, maybe a trip to say-"

"California. " Teal'c finally piped in. "Home of the best plastic surgeons on the whole of this planet."

"Ah, Teal'c..." Jack just had to know.

"The Learning Channel, O'Neill."

Jack shook his head in remorse. " We just had to get him cable."

"That's brilliant!" Daniel said enthusiastically. "It's a perfect cover. Jack goes there for a few weeks for his 'surgery'. He recuperates, comes back and we have our cover!"

Jack wasn't as keen on the idea as Daniel was. "I don't know, a few weeks? That's kinda long to be out of the field, sir."

Hammond merely shrugged. "There's no pressing missions at the moment, Colonel. We could always recall you and your team should matters arise."

Jack saw that it was a losing battle. Hammond had no other ideas put forth to him and Daniel's seemed to be the simplest one. Jack relented and admitted defeat. "I guess a few weeks under the sun can't be that bad."

TBC


	2. Fall Out

**Spoilers for Season 7 Episodes "Fall Out" and "Chimera". I'm vaguely referencing these episodes and this story remains firmly in AU territory.**

**Kudos to my beta who managed to turn this around in just an hour, despite a long day of work.**

* * *

It was bad.

To create a believable paper trail, he'd actually gone to LA and spent three days there, before boredom had him booking a commercial flight to San Francisco and heading to Half-Moon Bay and Santa Cruz. He'd done so with a forged passport he'd conveniently kept from his more earthly missions.

He'd supposedly been doing test flights over at Edwards AFB when an unfortunate training accident had occurred. From there he was referred to a private plastic surgeon who had performed a 'procedure' on him. What he'd actually done was spend three days poolside in a five star hotel, drinking Coronas and missing Sam.

Unlike him, she had no reason to be in California and had work to do in her lab. She called him every day just to catch up and he found himself looking forward to every night, lying on his hotel bed and just listening to her talk about her day.

Thanks to the Asgard his knees were no longer giving him trouble, and he decided to resurrect an old love of his: surfing.

He hadn't surfed since his early twenties, before the Air Force thought it quite brilliant to send him to the most dangerous parts of the world. It was going to be a steep re-learning curve, and he was really looking forward to the challenge.

He loved the physical strain, the burning of his lungs and muscles as he paddled to catch a wave. It was a nice change from the usual pain that he felt when he was in battle and his team were fighting for their lives. Off world, the adrenaline that pumped through his blood was from fear rather than from exhilaration.

At least when he was in the water, pushing his now much more agile body to the limits, he wasn't thinking of Carter and how much he missed her. He wasn't thinking of the little incident in the locker room where he'd almost made love to his 2IC against a concrete wall where anyone could've heard them. Even with the full body neoprene wet suit he wore, he could still feel the cold of the Pacific, and it cooled his ardor.

Damned Asgard.

Jack had forgotten what it was like to be this young. His body felt powerful, able to do anything and it translated into his libido. Thinking of Carter used to give him the occasional hard on. Now even mentioning her name made him want to liberate a 302 from Nellis, fly back to the mountain and screw her senseless until neither of them could walk.

It was probably a good thing that Carter was hundreds of miles away. His sanity couldn't possibly take her nearness at the moment. Maybe Teal'c's suggestion of taking up kelno'reem to bolster his self-control had merit.

As he sat on his longboard, bobbing up and down in the freezing Humboldt current, it suddenly occurred to him that his transformation had inadvertently prolonged his shelf life in the field.

Those pesky physicals that Fraiser was booking more frequently as the years wore on would now diminish. That retirement letter sitting, unprinted, in his computer would have to stay filed digitally for a few more years. While those two things weren't necessarily awful, it also meant those blonde blue eyed kids he'd been planning on would also have to wait.

While Carter was willing to wait a few years, he couldn't very well ask her to wait for twenty.

Those were things he definitely needed to discuss with Carter. As honest as they'd been to each other these past few weeks, they had avoided speaking about the future or where they saw their relationship ending up.

Jack knew what he wanted, and he suspected she wanted the same, but he was as clueless as her as to how to arrive to that particular outcome. Unless something drastically changed, such as him retiring, then they would remain at a standstill: living for the present and not thinking of the years, months or even the weeks ahead.

* * *

"You're kidding, right?"

"Daniel totally lost it, and told them that at this rate they'd be lucky if he didn't relocate them to Netu instead."

"That's our spacemonkey, all grown up."

"They're still throwing accusations despite narrowly avoiding the complete destruction of their planet. Daniel told Hammond that someone as pleasant as Jonas shouldn't be stuck with likes of them."

"And?"

"Jonas is seriously thinking about it. He misses gate travel and with the whole Kianna thing, he doesn't feel like he has much reason to stay. Kinda creepy falling for a Goa'uld."

"Yeah, there is that... So, all's well that ends well?"

"Remains to be seen, really. Oh, by the way, before I forget, Mark e-mailed me last night. Says he wants to talk to me about something important. So I asked Hammond if me and the boys could go and see you down there and he gave us three days. I figure I could kill two birds with one stone and see my brother in San Diego."

Jack sat up from his hotel bed. "_Excellent._ All this relaxing was slowly driving me nuts!"

"I'll let Daniel and Teal'c know we're good to go. Hammond says there's a hop available from Peterson bound for Moffett Field. We should be there in the morning."

"You make sure to pack that little camo bikini that I know you have, Carter."

Silence. Then giggling.

"Don't roll your eyes at me, Major, and especially NO giggling!"

"Yes, sir."

"I swear, you and Daniel are growing more insubordinate each day... Get some sleep, Carter. I'll see you in the morning."

He heard her wistful sigh on the other end. "Night, Colonel," she said before hanging up.

Phones sucked. With the NID probably tapping their calls, they had to stick to shop talk. Unclassified shop talk as well. Didn't need to give the rat bastards anymore intelligence than they were somehow dutifully mining from the SGC.

He gave a deep sigh, relaxing deeper into his bed and allowed himself to drift off quickly into the night.

* * *

He was at Moffett Field bright and early, determined to avoid the rush hour on the 101 southbound. He'd been caught out previously on his drive to Santa Cruz, deciding on a quicker freeway drive instead of the slower coastal route, and had ended up stuck in slow moving traffic while cars in the HOV lanes zipped past his rented Escalade. Damn Silicon Valley geeks and their battery operated toy cars.

The SF at the checkpoint had given him a funny look, but had waved him through. He figured Walter had given them a heads up not to ask any silly questions. He'd make sure to bring back something nice for the Master Sergeant.

He drove his car right onto the tarmac to see his team disembark the small military plane. Donning his Oakleys, he sauntered to his friends, arms wide open while yelling out a welcome.

"Bienvenida to the Golden State, boys and... girl. Did you miss me?"

Teal'c canted his head, smiling. "Indeed, O'Neill. It has been too quiet without your presence at the SGC."

"See, is that a compliment or an insult? I can't tell with you sometimes."

"It's too early for your gags, where the hell is my coffee, Jack?"

"And it's nice to see you too, Daniel."

"He hasn't been sleeping well," Sam piped up, giving him a specially big smile.

Oh, yeah. She definitely missed him.

"Well, campers, if you'll all follow me, we'll mosey on down to my rental and maybe, if Daniel gets his manners back, we'll stop by Peet's and give him a little reward."

"Not yet, sir. We've got to wait for Jonas."

"What?" Jack raised his eyebrows.

Sam shrugged as if to say 'What can you do?'. "He got in early this morning from Langara, so we figured we'd take him with us. He hasn't seen this part of the country yet."

"_Laguna_?"

"I have read that we are in close proximity to Disneyland," Teal'c intoned. "The Happiest Place on your planet."

"Oh, you know, just a day's drive or so. What's that when you're from Chulak, right?"

"I will be happy to drive, O'Neill."

"Um, yeah, sure, T," Jack frowned, not entirely sure that it was a good idea.

"You can sit with me in the back, Colonel." Carter gave him a suggestive look.

"Key's in the ignition, big guy. Knock yourself out," he told the Jaffa, his gaze never leaving Carter.

"Clear skies, 78 degrees!" Jonas exited the plane, a big grin on his face.

"Get in the car, Jonas! You can call shotgun," Jack prompted the Kelownan.

"Nice to see you too, Colonel," Jonas replied still smiling. His expression then changed to a puzzled one. "Why do we need weapons?"

Sam steered him towards the Escalade before replying, "It's an expression. Means you can ride up front with Teal'c."

Jack programmed the car's navigation system and left Teal'c and Jonas to figure out how to get to their destination. Daniel, his closed eyes hidden behind a pair of Aviators, and looking very grumpy, had taken up residence behind Jonas.

Jack settled in the cream leather seat at the very back, Sam buckling herself in the middle of the bench so that Jack could wrap his arm around her shoulders. "Comfy?" he asked, hearing her sigh of contentment.

"I missed this," she told him, settling at his right side.

"Did you even leave the base while I was gone?" he asked with a hint of humor.

"Took the opportunity to catch up on things. For some reason I haven't been spending all my weekends on base these past few weeks," she said squeezing his hand.

"Ah!"

She laced their fingers together, comforted by the feel of his warm callused hand. Soldier's hands, much like her own. She really did miss him. There was nothing like being wrapped in his embrace, the heat of his body merging with hers, his unique smell making her dizzy with happiness and want. It was purely male, sometimes with a hint of cordite.

Content to just be near him, Sam snuggled deeper into his side and closed her eyes.

* * *

After a couple of hours on the road, Daniel demanded they stop for lunch, preferably somewhere that served coffee.

Jack instructed Teal'c to drive through Carmel, a seaside town outside of Monterey.

Jonas fairly bounced with excitement, the ever present smile on his face, thrilled with the idea of new discoveries. Jack wasn't surprised the kid wanted out of his backwater planet. He'd been in Kelowna enough times to really loathe the industrialized, war torn country.

"Hey it says here, that Clint Eastwood was once the mayor of this town."

Daniel, with caffeine circulating back in his bloodstream and in better mood was back to his talkative self once again, reading the tourist brochure he'd picked up at the entrance of the coffee shop.

Teal'c raised his eyebrows and showed one of his rare smiles.

"Dirty Harry... Kelly's Heroes... A Fistful of Dollars..." Jack rattled off.

"Firefox!" Sam pointed out, grinning at her fellow pilot.

"The Bridges of Madison County."

All three Tau'ri stared at Teal'c.

"A fine film," he said in all seriousness.

"I really need to catch up on Earth cinema," Jonas leaned back on his seat feeling a bit left out of the conversation.

"Watch something other than the Weather Channel and you might just get somewhere," Sam suggested helpfully.

Jonas shook his head and took a sip of his coffee. He'd missed SG-1, even the irascible Colonel O'Neill. He was honored that they allowed him to be part of their tight-knit group. Perhaps the year he'd spent with them had proven his worth.

Jack's attention shifted to someone at the back of the café. He got up and nudged Jonas who also stood up and followed him to pick up their food. Teal'c's order was more than substantial, and the two of them had to make two trips to pick up the trays containing their lunches.

"Hmm, this is amazing," Daniel moaned in pleasure, "artichoke soup. What do you have there, Teal'c?" he asked eyeing the Jaffa's overflowing tray.

"The real question should be, 'What isn't he having?'" quipped Jack.

They spent another hour going up and down the town, taking in the quirky architecture and the natural beauty of the seaside.

Jonas had wanted to wade into the water at the beach, but signs warning of rip currents managed to persuade him to wait until they were in SoCal.

"Besides, it's kinda chilly. The Humboldt current flows down from the Arctic, it'd be like the last time you took a swim with the fishies," Jack reminded him of their little trip off the coast of Alaska.

"We seem to lose a lot of things that way," Sam noted, bemoaning the loss of various alien technologies.

Once done with their brief tour they all piled back into the Escalade, Teal'c insisting that he was still fine to drive.

With Jonas at the wheel they arrived outside San Diego very early the next day, the trip taking longer than expected due to their frequent pit stops.

They checked into a hotel not too far from the Carter house, the men sharing two rooms while Sam had her own room adjoining Jack and Daniel's. Despite being on holiday, Jack knew they had to maintain their discipline.

So, with much reluctance, they slept on separate beds with Daniel's presence dissuading them from crossing the line.

* * *

After breakfast, Sam called her brother and told him of their arrival. She was surprised at his invitation to bring her team over for a midday barbecue. The surprise soured when they arrived at the house and she found out exactly why her brother wanted to speak to her in the first place.

"Pete should be here anytime now. He's a really nice guy, Sam. Give him a chance."

Sam sighed. Oh, boy. She had not seen this coming. At all.

She looked over at Jack who was having a beer over at the grill, chatting with her sister-in-law. He'd put on the charm after Sam reminded him of Mark's aversion to anything military. Jack quickly went on the offensive, targeting poor Macy with the full force of the O'Neill magnetism, complementing Mark on his backyard and choice of barbecue meat of all things. It seemed to have worked to mellow out her brother for the time being.

"Mark, I've told you I don't have time for a relationship right now."

"That's the problem, you never do."

Sam refused to get into another argument, so soon after arriving. She was trying really hard to get along with her brother for her father's sake.

Soon enough, Mark was introducing Pete to Sam. The man clearly thought he'd hit jackpot by the mesmerized look on his face. Another one bites the dust; slain by the Carter looks and charm (as opposed to the P90 that was her usual manner of dispatch).

Not that Sam was trying to be charming. No, no. She tried her hardest to look impassive and most of all uninterested. She knew that Jack was covertly watching, and he had figured out quite quickly her brother's intentions. He might play the idiot, but he was very far from one.

He asked silently with his eyes if she could handle things, and she gave him a slight nod of acknowledgement.

Jack went back to telling Macy about his various trips to Europe, a place she'd been begging Mark to visit. She ate up the details, Daniel hiding his smile behind a beer bottle.

Jack O'Neill was such a fraud. The buffoon act was tucked away today; in its place, a well travelled Air Force Colonel who Daniel suspected was even more clever than even he suspected.

The party eventually congregated out on the wooden deck where several outdoor plastic tables were cobbled together to make one long table big enough to accommodate everyone.

The food was served, polite conversation going all around.

Sam was quick to take her usual place next to Jack, instinctively serving him all his favorites without him having to ask. She hadn't realized that others had taken note of her behavior, including Mark.

"So, Sam. How long have you guys worked together?" Mark asked, motioning to Jack.

She looked up from her salad and steak. "Almost eight years."

"Wow. That's a hell of a long time for the military."

"Most of what we do is theoretical," Sam answered his unasked question. "The majority of our time is spent in the lab, and very few places exist where we could perform our kind of work."

"And that's in Deep Space Telemetry?" Pete curiously asked, not really understanding what exactly her job entailed. "So you guys are all scientists then," he concluded.

Jack was about to deny being lumped in with the geeks, but Sam beat him to a response.

"Yes," she said squeezing Jack's thigh under the table, warning him not to open his mouth.

"I thought you were a pilot, Jack?" Macy looked at O'Neill in confusion.

Sam chose to answer for him. "He is. A test pilot actually, that's why he was at Edwards these past few weeks."

"Then how come you work with Sam?" Pete's confusion showed.

"Classified," Jack answered this time. "Sorry, Paul."

"Um, it's Pete, actually," The cop glared, disliking the Colonel all of a sudden. He hadn't missed the familiarity between Sam and her boss, the way she had chosen to sit next to him and serve him his food. How she was now picking out bits from his salad and putting them into her own plate. He didn't make detective without being able to interpret behavior and read body language.

O'Neill on the other hand, he couldn't get a read on. The man seemed to change gears so frequently that figuring out what he was thinking proved impossible. Pete was inclined to take him at face value, the funny guy who laid on the charm to disguise the fact that he wasn't the smartest in the group, but his instinct told him otherwise, confirmed by Sam's insistence that he was smarter than he looked.

Sam tried to break the sudden tension by laughing at her commanding officer's reply. "Stop pulling his leg, sir. The Colonel has a Master's in Astronomy and a Bachelor's degree in Science and Engineering."

Daniel tried to not look startled at that little revelation. He hid his surprise by shoving another mouthful of steak in his mouth.

To Jack's credit, he refrained from kicking Sam under the table for revealing that tidbit he'd tried very hard to conceal from everyone.

Sam had weasled it out of him a few weeks before during a game of Twenty Questions.

"Scientists have a tendency to get sidetracked, and he's responsible for steering us in the right direction," Sam finished.

Thankfully, Jonas steered the conversation in another direction by asking about Disneyland. Mark used to have season passes when his kids were younger and gave Jonas tips on the rides and sites, and strategy on how to minimize their wait times. "Definitely go for FastPass."

Sam sighed in relief, grateful that the interrogation had ended for now.

Conversation then turned to Pete and how he and Mark met through mutual friends. She learned that Pete was from Denver and was actually working on an ongoing case in the Springs.

"I told Pete he should look you up once he's over there. Get you out of that mountain for a bit of fresh air."

Sam smiled tightly, not liking where this was headed. She felt Jack tense, and she reassured him with another squeeze to his thigh, the action hidden under the tablecloth.

"We're going to the beach tomorrow; you should come, spend the day with us," Pete suggested. "It'll be fun. You guys too," he added belatedly to Sam's team.

"You should go, Carter."

Her head whipped around to Jack. _What the hell was he doing?_

"Me and the boys have a date with the happiest place on Earth. You should spend time with your family."

Sam stared at him feeling lost. _But I thought I was_.

"I think that's a great idea," Macy interjected. "Oh! And you can stay with us tonight. We haven't really had a chance to catch up."

"I left my stuff at the hotel."

"That's fine. We've got spare toothbrushes and everything. That way we can start early tomorrow and we'll drop you off at your hotel at the end of the day."

"Sir?" She silently pleaded with Jack, but he refused to look at her, focusing instead on his half-done steak.

"Go for it, Major. You can use the break from us." _From me._

Sam forced herself to smile at Macy in acquiescence.

She tried all afternoon to corner Jack and speak to him alone, but he was very good at avoidance. It didn't help that Pete was quite determined to chat with her and ask her all sorts of question about herself.

Under very different circumstances, she would be flattered, but her mind kept drifting to Jack and his sudden change in attitude. Why was he acting this way?_ Why is he pushing me away?_

Soon enough, the guys decided it was time to leave. Jack shook hands with Mark and thanked Macy for her excellent cooking and hospitality.

The rest of the Carters had followed them to the driveway and Sam didn't get the chance to say goodbye to Jack properly. He merely gave her a sloppy salute before getting in the back seat with Daniel.

* * *

Jack was completely silent on the way back to the hotel, prompting Daniel to throw him concerned looks. He tried to think of an explanation for Jack's sombre mood. Obviously, it had something to do with Sam, but he would bet that the cop and Mark Carter also had something to do with it.

Sensing that the Colonel needed to be alone, Jonas announced at the parking lot that he was dying to try out the hotel pool and spa. Daniel and Teal'c exchanged looks.

"Sounds like a plan, Jonas. Why don't you guys join him, I'm gonna go for a walk. Knees are getting stiff."

The excuse was a lousy one, considering what the Asgard had done to improve him.

Daniel watched his friend walk away, concern clearly written on his face.

"Do not worry yourself, Daniel Jackson. O'Neill will take care of it in his own way."

"What? With a six pack of beer?"

Teal'c inclined his head. "If need be."

* * *

The hotel wasn't very far from the beach. The Carters lived in a suburb at the edge of the city near Delmar and they'd chosen to stay fifteen minutes away, north towards Encinitas.

The roar of the waves and the brisk wind blowing in from the Pacific cleared his mind somewhat. He thought back to a few days ago, sitting on his surfboard, and the doubts that had assailed him.

Those doubts were back with a vengeance and suddenly made more sense. He'd heard Mark's words to Sam, asking her to seriously consider giving his friend a chance. _"What have you got to lose? It's not like you're seeing anyone."_

_What have you go to lose?_

Everything.

A chance to be happy with someone who didn't have to hide what he felt for her. A chance at walking down the aisle and those blond blue-eyed kids.

Could he really ask her to give up all those things for an uncertain future that might never come?

What they did was so dangerous that the chances of them coming back in one piece were becoming slimmer and slimmer. As the war continued they were making more difficult choices each mission, putting themselves more at risk just to see an end to all the fighting.

Instead they faced even more formidable enemies, capable of destroying their world with a flip of a switch, and the end to the war grew further and further away.

There were days when he seriously considered giving up and just taking what he wanted. Those thoughts had come more frequently after they'd started their unusual relationship. But he'd made an oath to himself long ago, and he was loathe to break it.

He'd promised things to Teal'c and Daniel; while he'd been unable to keep the promise to get Shau'ri back, he'd be damned if he broke the one he made to Teal'c to help save his people.

Then there was the one he'd made to himself, the one where he promised to get rid of the Goa'uld so that others wouldn't have to go through what Daniel did.

Some things were just bigger than him. Bigger than him and Sam.

While it frustrated him to no end, the regulations were in place for a reason, and he agreed with them. If he wanted to be with Sam, he needed to do it officially, not behind Hammond's back and in a way that could be used against them by the likes of Kinsey. That would have meant breaking up his team and reneging on his word.

SG-1 needed to be out there in its current configuration. They weren't as effective when pieces were missing. Anubis was steadily building his army of drones and they couldn't afford to let up in their offensive to find technology that could defeat him - and the next bad guy who would inevitably replace him.

He had to seriously consider that being with Sam wasn't going to be possible any time soon, if ever. That the best thing for her wasn't necessarily him.

* * *

**Bet you didn't see that coming =)**

**On another note, I'm glad to see that a few of you are enjoying the story enough to follow/favourite it. I've no idea from Traffic stats alone whether someone actually liked the story or just read a few lines and went, _"Man, that was sh*te!"_ and closed their browser window for good measure.**

**Thank you guys for your support, in ****particular, those who took the time and were kind enough to leave a review. xx**


	3. Chimera

**Thanks to all the folks who left messages for Chapter Two. You've all made your feelings pretty clear about a certain character *vbg* And The spud-related names you guys have come up with!... *smh* **

**I've taken note and hopefully this chapter will address your concerns. **

**Some action in this one. Let's do this!**

* * *

The first thing that Sam did, the moment Macy had left her alone for the night, was to text Daniel ordering him to call her right away.

She desperately needed to talk to someone, and since the person she really wanted to talk to was avoiding her, she would settle for the next best thing.

Her phone vibrated in her hand and she quickly pressed the "answer" button.

"Hey, Sam."

"Is he with you?"

"Who?"

"Don't try my patience Daniel," she said through gritted teeth. "Is he there?"

"He went for a walk a few hours ago. I haven't seen him since."

She quelled the urge to hurl her phone against the wall.

"Sam?"

"What the hell happened, Daniel? One moment everything was great. We were closer than we've ever been. Then BAM! In a matter of hours, we're back to CO and 2IC and he's pushing me into the arms of another man. What gives?"

Daniel sighed, equally confused by Jack's behavior. "I don't know. Maybe he's just being... you know... Jack. He can be a real idiot when it comes to feelings. I mean, who the heck knows what really goes on in the man's mind."

Sam scoffed. "Does that mean he'll suddenly stop being an idiot and give me a grovelling apology?"

"Hmm. Maybe. Not so much on the grovelling. When was the last time you heard Jack apologize for anything?"

"Seriously, Daniel. Did I do anything wrong? Did I look like I was encouraging Pete in any way?"

He shook his head even though Sam couldn't see him. "I don't think you did anything wrong, Sam. I think Teal'c is right. We have to let Jack sort this out his own way. Something is clearly bothering him, but I doubt he'll share what that is until he's good and ready."

"And in the meantime?"

"Try to enjoy your day with your family. We'll run interference and see if we can figure what put a bee in Jack's bonnet."

"Clichés, Daniel?" she asked, laughing.

"Yes, we all know how Jack feels about those. Night, Sam."

"Thanks, Daniel."

"Anytime."

She stared at her phone, wondering if she should try calling. She'd left him several text messages asking if he was all right, but he hadn't responded.

The clock on the nightstand told her that it was beyond late, and she needed to get some shut-eye. There was a long day planned for tomorrow and she would need all her wits about her to survive what was sure to be an exhausting time.

* * *

Surprisingly, by lunchtime, Sam had to admit that she was actually having fun. Mark and Pete were really good friends and it showed in their banter. The stories and description of their mutual friends had her laughing along with them.

It was a nice change hearing about the the lives of normal people.

Macy's complaints about the PTA and the never ending need to keep up with the Joneses... Mark's incompetent boss and the lethargy of his colleagues... Pete's frustration with the turnstile legal system.

There was no mention of megalomaniacal System Lords hell-bent on conquering their galaxy. No talk of naquadah reactors, or ancient texts needing translation. No regulations constantly hovering over her, telling her not to let her gaze linger for too long on the Colonel's face, or to sit too close, smile too much, care too much... Care for him at all.

God, she missed him.

For a very brief moment, she'd entertained the idea of taking what was clearly being offered by Pete. It would be so easy with him. She thought of being with someone who didn't have a checkered military past, whose life wasn't censored with black marks and all the other baggage that came with it. Someone who wasn't a galactic hero duty bound to put the fate of the galaxy before her. What did it feel like to be someone's first priority? Something she couldn't expect from Jack.

She quickly dismissed those thoughts, realizing right away how ridiculous they were. She'd chosen her path long ago, there was only one person for her and Jack O'Neill was He. The weight of the galaxy might fall on their shoulders often enough, but she wouldn't trade the life she had with him for something mundane.

She couldn't wait to see Jack and show him what an idiot he was being. How could he even think that there would be anyone else for either of them? Didn't the universe give them enough of a clue that they should be together? All those realities and somehow, there was one thing that never really changed...

Them.

Even if their world were to end tomorrow, she would have no regrets, knowing that she was loved and had loved in return would suffice.

Much to her annoyance, Pete insisted on driving her back to the hotel, determined to convince her of their suitability.

He was a very nice man, if a bit on the goofy side, and while she had no interest in him she found it difficult to let him down easy. Instead, she made sure to stick to safe topics, like stories about her brother. She valiantly steered him away from anything that focused on her, and asked about his work, the movies he'd seen, the hobbies he had.

She feared this only made things worse. He misinterpreted her casual conversation for genuine interest, and so it was a massive relief when her hotel came in sight.

Finally, the day and the suffocating drive could end!

"What the hell?!" she heard Pete exclaim.

"I'm sorry?" she asked startled at his sudden aggression.

He pulled the car to an abrupt stop in the middle of the parking lot and reached for something concealed at the bottom of his pants leg. "Stay in the car, Sam and call for backup."

She sat there for a moment slightly stunned.

_Backup?!_

Hell, no!

She pushed the car door open and went after Pete. She had no idea what was going on, but she had a very bad feeling that SG-1 was involved.

* * *

The three men collapsed in exhaustion the moment they stepped foot in Jonas's and Teal'c's suite.

Jack dropped the bags of tacky souvenirs he'd been forced to buy at inflated prices, vowing to never take Teal'c to an amusement park ever again.

He'd felt less stress infiltrating Goa'uld motherships than the chaos that had been 'The Happiest Place on Earth'.

The lines had been horrendous, the food expensive (Teal'c and Jonas certainly packed it away), and the crowds oppressive.

Daniel grew bored quite quickly, and had forced him to listen about the historical inaccuracies and bastardization of Disney fairytales.

At least he'd gotten a few laughs and blackmail material when Teal'c had ridden the teacups. Jonas had been forced to wait in line, as the ride was only big enough for one Jaffa.

He imagined the look on the Free Jaffa's faces when he showed them 'Master Teal'c' wedged into a pink oversized cup. He'd never live it down.

Jack pulled out his cell phone and took another picture, this time of Jonas sleeping on the hotel armchair his mouth wide open, Mickey Mouse ears still on his head.

"This one's for the ladies," he muttered whilst chuckling at the picture.

"My feet are killing me," Daniel moaned, sitting on the sofa next to Jack.

"It's those civilian shoes. They're not broken in yet."

Daniel snorted. "Says a lot doesn't it? I spend more time in uniform that I do in civilian garb."

"And you love it," Jack replied matter-of-factly. "Face it, Daniel. You've become one of us."

"Another cog in the military industrial complex."

"Hey! Don't knock it. Steady paycheck, free food, and a wonderful retirement package if you survive that long."

Daniel rolled his eyes. "I think you're being too generous calling MREs 'food'."

"I thought you liked chicken?" Jack teased.

"For the last time, it was supposed to be macaroni and cheese!" Daniel stalked off to the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Jack chuckled and looked over at Teal'c. "How ya doing there, big guy?"

Teal'c was methodically wrapping up their haul in tissue paper and placing them individually into little bags.

"It is I who should be asking you, O'Neill."

Jack raised his eyebrows at the Jaffa. "Pourquoi?"

"You were not yourself yesterday."

"No biggie." Jack got up to stretch his legs and to distance himself from Teal'c's all knowing gaze.

Teal'c remained silent, making Jack feel very transparent. Like he'd apparently told Carter once, he wasn't terribly complicated.

"T, really, I'm fine. Just had to thrash out some things in the old fron. I'm good now."

Teal'c continued to stare at him, before finally inclining his head. "If you say that it is, O'Neill, then it must be so."

He was saved from replying by Daniel exiting the can.

"I wouldn't go in there for a bit," he said rubbing circles on his stomach. "I don't think those chili dogs agreed with me."

Jack grimaced. "Thanks for the warning... and for using their bathroom instead of ours."

The two of them left Teal'c to his gift wrapping and headed next door to their room.

Daniel looked shattered and collapsed on his bed after toeing off his shoes.

Still feeling wide awake - It was only 21.00 for crying out loud! - Jack grabbed his phone and keycard and told Daniel he was going to the hotel bar.

The younger man barely acknowledged him with a grunt, so Jack left him to rest.

* * *

Finally! The human was asleep and his companion had left the room.

Osiris knew that he did not have much time before O'Neill returned. He used the kara kesh - hybridized with Asgard technology - to beam himself from the tel'tak into Jackson's hotel room.

Daniel shifted in his sleep, so Osiris used the hand device to settle him before placing the memory recall device on Daniel's temple. The device immediately started flashing as it interfaced with its twin that was attached to Osiris.

* * *

Jack drained the last of his beer and replaced the empty mug on the coaster provided. He slid out of the bar stool before dropping several bills on the counter and pointing at the bar tender in parting.

He made his way to the elevators in the lobby, all the while fiddling with his phone. He saw that Sam had sent him another message. He didn't bother reading it before hitting the delete button.

The elevator doors opened to reveal a hotel employee who nodded at him in greeting as he exited. He returned it with a tight smile as the man exited past him. Once inside the elevator, he poked at his floor number several times before attacking the close button forcing the sliding doors to finally shut.

* * *

The Goa'uld hissed in annoyance, frustrated at the slow progress. He'd lost many days trying to locate Daniel's location and finding a time when he slept alone. The dreams he'd previously created had become disjointed.

Daniel was having difficulty focusing on his memories of the tablet, much less interpreting anything from it. 'Sarah' had tried guiding him, but Daniel questioned her motives, suspicious of her sudden interest in his work.

Osiris pulled off the device attached to Daniel and activated the kara kesh to beam back to his ship.

The device failed to initiate much to his confusion and he growled in outrage.

Daniel woke up startled, blinking rapidly at the blurry figure standing in front of him.

Glasses...

Osiris immediately pointed the ribbon device at him, causing Daniel to collapse back on the bed, paralyzed and wide eyed with pain.

* * *

The keycard slipping from his unsteady hand had Jack muttering curses. While not strictly drunk, he was definitely not fit to operate large machinery.

He hoped the beers would do their job and he'd been sound asleep by the time Carter got back and further postpone that talk he was betting she was wanting to have.

He counted down the numbers on the doors and slowed once his room was in sight. Pausing for a moment, he girded his loins before inserting the keycard into the slot and watched it as it turned green.

Osiris was so intent in his torture that he failed to notice the door open to admit Jack who took one look at what was happening to Daniel and pulled out the 9mm pistol concealed at his back.

He took aim at the woman and watched as the bullet bounced harmlessly off her personal shield.

"Ah, crap!"

He dove for cover as the Goa'uld whipped around and shot at him with a Hara'kesh.

"O'Neill!"

The single gunshot had Teal'c abandoning his wrapping job, and startled Jonas awake. The loud whine of the alien weapon and subsequent explosion had them rushing out of their suite just in time to see Sarah Gardener follow Jack into Sam's adjoining room.

Teal'c pursued Osiris, tackling the Goa'uld to the ground giving Jack the chance to make a grab for the ashrak device.

He tried to pull the ring-like weapon from Sarah's fingers, but Osiris had curled her hand into a fist and swung at Jack, connecting with his side. His breath whooshed out of him, winded by the solid hit to his abdomen area, and he lost his footing forcing him to let go of her hand.

Osiris managed to roll over on his back and aimed his kara kesh at Teal'c's chest, sending him flying to the wall, his body hitting the plasterboard hard.

Regaining some of his equilibrium, Daniel grabbed his keycard from the nightstand and tossed it to Jonas, who caught it and ran out to the hallway to enter through the main door and join the commotion.

Jack was just getting up when Jonas burst into the room, distracting Osiris enough so Jack could attempt another tackle. The Goa'uld saw the movement and fired the hand device again, dealing Jack a glancing blow, whilst firing the Hara'kesh at Jonas who had taken cover in the hallway.

"Shek'na kree!"

Seeing no immediate threat, Osiris spun around and walked briskly out of the room. He tried beaming out again to no avail. "Bal'dak, Tau'ri," he cursed out loud and followed the exit signs.

Jonas went in silent pursuit at a safe distance, very aware of his lack of weaponry.

O'Neill and Teal'c followed a moment later, catching up with Jonas at the elevators.

"What's going on, son?" Jack rasped out, the pain in his side slowly abating.

Jonas pointed at the descending numbers. "I thought he'd go up, but he seems to be heading down to the lobby."

Jack nudged him towards the fire escape. "Let's go. I'll take point, you have our six T," he instructed as they barrelled down the stairwell at full speed.

Jack caught sight of Osiris, regally walking out the main entrance of the hotel, thick robes billowing around her body.

_Figures. The bastards are so damned arrogant, they think running is beneath them._

He raised his gun, hoping the Goa'uld had neglected to raise his personal shield again after their tussle.

He fired the weapon, aiming somewhere non-fatal, giving them the chance to capture the Goa'uld alive.

Normally, he wouldn't bother, but the host was Daniel's friend and the archaeologist had made it perfectly clear in the past that he would prefer to catch rather than kill Osiris so that the Tok'ra could extract the snake.

Osiris staggered from the force of the bullet entering her shoulder. His eyes flashed in abject fury. "You will pay for your insolence, Tau'ri!"

He lifted the hand containing the Hara'kesh-

"Freeze! No one move!"

Pete came running into the scene brandishing his pistol.

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Jack glared at the clueless cop, keeping his weapon raised and his finger on the trigger.

Pete saw the blood spreading on Osiris's cloak and frowned at her in concern. "Are you okay, lady?"

Osiris merely smirked in amusement before flinging Pete across the parking lot, his body landing on the hood of a car making a sickening crunch on impact.

His attention diverted, Teal'c ran towards the Goa'uld, using his superior mass to push him to the ground. Osiris struggled against the bulk of Teal'c's weight, but Jack and Jonas piled on, one man on either side of her holding her arms down.

"I guess he didn't like being called 'lady'," Jack quipped.

"Colonel!" Sam appeared and made her way to her teammates. "You guys need my help?"

Jack's eyes drank her in, before internally shaking himself to focus on the matter at hand. "We're good here, Carter. You might want to check on your friend though." He gestured to the slumped form of Pete Shanahan whose body had slid off the hood of the car.

"Oh my God, what happened to him?"

"Got on the evil side of Daniel's girlfriend."

"Stop being an ass, Jack!" Daniel materialized beside him looking a bit worse for wear. He knelt down and removed the Goa'uld weapons from Sarah's hands.

* * *

Sam was on the phone to the SGC after calling 911, asking Walter to send a containment team to their location. She was on her knees beside Pete who had yet to regain full consciousness. While his pulse was slow, his breathing wasn't obstructed.

"You'll need to let General Hammond know that Paul Davis might be needed on the ground. We're going to need someone who can coordinate with local law enforcement. We also have an injured civilian who may have been..." she chose her words carefully over the unsecure line. "...exposed to foreign technology."

She heard the Master Sergeant pause at the end of the line. "Understood, Major. Colonel Reynolds's team has been dispatched to your location. They should be in the air in thirty."

"Thanks, Walter."

"Yes, ma'am. I'll patch the General though the moment he gets in."

The conversation had lasted only a couple of minutes, but when Sam looked up, a small crowd of people were starting to gather in the parking lot and lobby. She noticed that the guys had disappeared along with the Goa'uld, with only the Colonel remaining.

He was speaking to what looked like the hotel manager. The short, stocky, bald man was gesturing at the bloodstained entrance and then pointed elsewhere inside the building.

She had no idea what had happened or how much property was damaged, but she wasn't counting on being welcomed back to this particular location again.

Jack left the bewildered hotelier to sort out the chaos in the lobby after instructing him not to touch anything until local enforcement okayed it.

"How's he doing, Carter?"

His 2IC was crouched down holding the detective's hand. He tamped down the sudden surge of jealousy. _The man was injured, for crying out loud! Get a hold of yourself, O'Neill._

"His pulse is steady. He's showing signs of coming around."

"Good. Paramedics are here. I want you to ride with Shanahan."

"Sir?"

Jack took her by the elbow and helped her back up to her feet as the EMTs took over Pete's care. Sam quickly explained how he was injured and gave his vitals while the EMTs collared and boarded him for transport.

Jack and Sam took a few steps back so that they couldn't be overheard.

"He knows you. You're the ideal person to find out exactly what he saw. Stick with the story you've already given him. If he asks for more, standard line about classified experimental weapons research and have him sign an NDA."

He scrubbed at his tired face and eyes. It had gone past midnight and his day was far from ending. "This is going to be a logistical nightmare. We've got to transport good old Osiris back to the SGC ASAP before local LEO start their investigation..."

"Yes, sir. I've spoken to Sgt. Harriman, he says the General's on his way to the mountain. SG-3's on a flight from Peterson, they're bringing equipment to deal with the prisoner."

"Great." He indicated at the EMTs wheeling Shanahan to the rig. "You're ride's ready. Keep me updated. You run into any trouble let me know."

She nodded, wanting to say more but decided that it wasn't the right time or place.

"See you later, sir."

* * *

"...I promise. Okay. That's fine. See you soon."

Sam disconnected the call with an audible sigh. Mark had been surprisingly calm about the whole mess.

_Small mercies_, she thought grimly.

While Pete would recover from his ordeal without any lasting consequences, the bad news was that he would remember everything, which meant she would have to convince him of their cover story and to sign the NDA.

Her brother would pass by after work and she couldn't wait to see his expression when she mentioned the word "classified". He would either blow up at her or refuse to speak to her again. She wasn't sure which she prefered.

She'd gotten a call from Daniel a couple of hours before to let her know that the police were willing to cooperate and they maintained custody of Osiris. SG-3 brought tranqs from Janet to make it easier to transport the Goa'uld back to Cheyenne; Teal'c and Jonas accompanied them.

They were all due back the next day for a debrief, including the Colonel.

Paul Davis arrived before lunch and had joined Sam in speaking to Pete. The Major had done most of the talking, explaining the secret nature of their work and its importance to national security.

He then produced the NDA and Sam asked Pete to sign it.

"What, you don't trust me?" Pete joked. "I get it, Sam. You're some super genius who designs space weapons for the government. My lips are sealed, just between us," he made a zipper motion across his mouth.

She saw Paul roll his eyes, but he remained silent.

"It's standard procedure, Pete. We can't actually let you go without you signing it."

He frowned at her. "I'm in your custody? Am I under arrest?"

"No. Of course not. Posse Comitatus. The Air Force has no authority over civilian matters on American soil. But we do ask that you cooperate with ongoing operations, in light of the nation's heightened state of alert," Sam clarified.

Major Davis handed Pete a folder and a pen. "Please, Detective."

"Thank you, Pete," Sam said gratefully after he handed the signed document back to Davis.

"Major Carter," Paul Davis nodded at her before exiting the partition.

Without Paul in the room, Sam didn't know what to do, except smile uncomfortably at Pete.

"You owe me one," he suddenly told her.

She stared at him in confusion. "I'm sorry?"

"We didn't get those drinks you promised to have with me at your hotel. You'll have to make it up to me once you're back at the Springs."

_She promised him that?_ "Pete-"

"Sure, it kinda sucked being assaulted by that cute blonde, but at least now you can tell me more about yourself without having to keep saying 'Classified'," he chuckled.

"You're a really nice guy, Pete, but like I told my brother, I don't have time for a relationship right now."

"Then how about time for a friend?" Pete suggested. "Two friends hanging out. Get to know each other better and once you do have time then maybe we'll see..."

Sam bit her lip in consternation. Pete's persistence was admirable, but also misguided. She would not change her mind on this. Her life plans did not include him, but rather a misanthropic Spec Ops colonel who was too pig-headed for his own good.

The man in front of her looked bruised and so pathetic that she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. He was pleading with her with puppy dog eyes, and dashing his hopes right then and there felt too much like kicking a sick dog while it was down.

"Sure, Pete. We can hang out," she said, following it with a forced closed mouth smile.

A grin broke out on his face. "Really?" he asked excitedly. "That's great! I know of this amazing place we can go dancing. You'll love it!"

Sam raised her eyebrow at his presumptive comment which Pete failed to notice.

Now she just had to make sure that she was off world whenever he called. They were due several galactic emergencies, right?

* * *

Jack hastily turned away from the 'touching' scene not bothering to let Carter know of his presence.

Daniel turned around and caught up with his rapidly retreating friend.

"Jack... Would you just wait. I'm sure it wasn't what-"

"Save it, Daniel. I don't wanna hear it."

"What do you expect, Jack?" Daniel continued undeterred. "You pushed her away for no apparent reason. Now you're mad because she's considering her options?"

Jack ignored the question. "Once she's done comforting Pat there, tell Carter that the Pentagon's sent over a team to take over the cleanup and she's expected at the SGC at oh-nine-hundred tomorrow."

Daniel stopped walking and watched Jack's departing form disappear in the distance.

* * *

He was done. He was so done. He hadn't counted on how hard it would be to watch her move on and be with someone else.

He had no idea how he was going to face her the next day or the day after that. The foremost thought in his mind was to quit; tell George he'd enough of the fighting and to exile him somewhere in the Beta site.

He knew he wasn't thinking rationally. There was still that minor little detail of his personal vow to rid the galaxy of those irksome snakes and he wasn't naïve enough to think that the Joint Chiefs would allow him to retire, considering recent events.

Far too valuable with our allies, blah, blah, blah, etcetera, etcetera...

Like Daniel had pointed out the night before, he was just another one of those pesky cogs in the giant gizmo that was the SGC.

He wished they'd realize that he was more like a rusted out tool rather than a crucial piece, and like any tool he was easily replaceable.

* * *

**Was that better? I know the poor sap is still around and continue to cause trouble , but you know Sam's not inclined to return those feelings. Let me know. It takes a minute or so and is a tiny fraction of the hours we authors spend writing =)**

**For those following this story, I'm going back home to London this weekend for a few weeks (I'm currently in the West Coast of the US) and won't be posting for a few days, maybe a week. I'm expecting to be jet lagged; It's also F1 at Silverstone on Sunday and I just found out my man, Mark Webber is retiring next season. I'll be glued to that. If you're a fan of his, give me a shout out. **


	4. Death Knell

**Hi Campers, many thanks to those folks who let me know what they thought of last chapter. I totally get that you all dislike the cop. I get that really ;-) Without an antagonist (Pete) there wouldn't be much of a story. All sweetness and sunshine in fiction become tedious rather fast. It's those pesky storm clouds and bitter rain that drive us to keep reading. **

**I assure you, I am listening to your concerns. Stick with me and I think you might like the ending. As always, let me know what you think. It's great motivation for me to keep writing. **

**SPOILERS: Death Knell**

* * *

"We'll jump off that bridge when we come to it."

Jack O'Neill reined in his emotions as he and Teal'c stoically went about the urgent task of tracking down their friend and teammate, Major Sam Carter.

The fresh, heavy impressions on the ground indicated that the Super Soldier was not far ahead. The drone would pursue Carter relentlessly until it possessed the remaining upgraded power unit capable of killing it. It would make sure to destroy her along with the weapon.

_"I think you cracked it."_

_"Your head or your phone?"_

_"Both."_

_"Good."_

_"Any particular reason?"_

_"You weren't using it for its intended purpose."_

_"My head or my phone?"_

_"Both."_

O'Neill physically winced at the memory. She'd chucked the cell phone at his head, and he was fairly sure that the heavy plastic had made a dent on his skull.

Sam had lost her patience after he'd expertly avoided her for two days straight. She'd called him every foul name under the sun and he'd taken it with his usual witticism. She clearly didn't think it was funny because she'd picked up his phone and sent it flying across the room straight at his forehead.

He'd been stupid to forget that she had an exceptional aim.

He'd apparently been stupid about many things.

"Colonel O'Neill?"

"General," O'Neill spoke into his radio.

"Status report."

"We found tracks, sir. Could be Carter's."

"What direction?" he heard Hammond ask.

"East, up into the hills," he replied.

Teal'c cocked his head. "The higher ground is a more defensible position."

"Understood. I'll have a UAV fly a search pattern around the area. Hammond out," The General back at the SGC terminated radio contact.

Jack agreed with the Jaffa and they began their ascent up the hills.

_"You want a beer?"_

_"No. I need us both completely sober for this particular discussion."_

_"Ladies first."_

_"You're an idiot."_

"So I've been told."

_"You're so infuriating sometimes, I feel like punching you in the face."_

_"Hey! Go for it if it'll make you feel better."_

_"Don't think I'm not tempted."_

_"Then why don't you?"_

_"Because as angry as I am right now, I still love you, you jackass..."_

He was more than a jackass. He was an ungrateful bastard whose capacity for self-flagellation blinded him from the amazing things in his life. Instead of being thankful and trusting Sam to know what she wanted, he'd second-guessed her and made her feel less than fully wanted.

If a higher being were to show him any mercy, the time would be now. _Save her life. I won't make the same mistake again._

Carter was hurt, he was certain of it. Every step would be agony, yet she wouldn't rest, she wouldn't give up, because she knew the importance of what she held in her hands.

His Carter was tenacious and would never surrender. She was far stronger than him that way.

* * *

"Come here," he said wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

The two of them sat there not speaking, just soaking in the relief of the moment. She was bloodied, exhausted, her whole body aching... She was alive. Sam Carter would go on to see another day, join in another fight. Jack O'Neill would have his chance to show her today and every other day after this that she was the most important thing in his life.

"You ready to get up?" He kept his hold on her, unwilling to let her go just yet. He would carry her back to the gate if need be.

He felt her shake her head. "Too tired, sir."

He nodded and signaled for Teal'c, who was now satisfied that the drone was sufficiently dead.

"What does Major Carter require, O'Neill?"

"Take my weapon. I'm gonna carry Carter back to the gate."

The Jaffa reached out and took Jack's P90.

"I can walk, sir. I just need a bit of help," Sam said as she tried to get up from the boulder she was sitting on. Her knees wobbled and Jack quickly scooped her up into his arms.

"You're exhausted and hurt, Major, no reason to make it worse by trying to hike out of here."

"I'm too heavy for you, Jack," she mumbled against his neck.

"It's alright, baby. I've got you now, just rest. Besides, Asgard enhanced strength, remember?"

"What enhancements do you speak of, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked him with rapt interest.

Jack frowned. "I'm sure I said something to you guys."

"First time I heard about it," Sam whispered tiredly.

Jack grimaced. "D'oh!"

The going was slow. Teal'c took point, Jack behind him carrying Sam as they made their way to lower ground where the gate was located. Medics awaited them at the now scarred and burnt out landscape that was the Alpha Site.

"Almost there, babe. You keep awake for me, you hear?"

Sam gave a deep sigh, her breath warming the exposed skin of his neck. "Just don't let go, Jack."

"Swear to God, I won't. Never again," he said with more than just one promise.

"Couldn't give up," she mumbled. "Unfinished business," she managed to whisper out.

He smiled slightly. "That's the spirit, Carter."

The medics came forward with a stretcher, but as the gate wasn't too far he refused to relinquish his hold on Carter and continued carrying her to the base.

A few eyebrows had gone up, mostly from the newer members of the SGC, but a warning glance from both Teal'c and Reynolds had kept anyone from commenting.

Anyone who'd been with the program long enough recognized the deep bonds that were forged in battle within SG teams. SG-1 in particular had gone through the wringer and no one batted an eye if the closeness of the team sometimes bordered on fraternization.

The most startling thing wasn't that a CO was carrying his 2IC, but that he was capable of physically doing so. The terrain wasn't the most steady one, and Carter was pretty much dead weight with the concussion she was certainly suffering from. Yet Colonel O'Neill's gait was steady and strong.

His biceps, while firm in the past, never bulged or strained against his black t-shirt like it did now. The time he'd spent in the sun had bleached his light brown hair and the bits poking out of his baseball cap appeared golden brown. It seemed the Colonel's time away had done him some good.

SG-3 stayed behind to help finish with the cleanup. The moment the Stargate winked out behind Teal'c, someone let out a whistle.

Bert Reynolds spun around to locate the perpetrator. It was Airman Kendrick from the newly minted SG-12. He gave her a pointed look, but she merely shrugged apparently uncowed by his silent reprimand.

"Keep your team in line, Major," Reynolds warned the leader of SG-12.

Hadden also shrugged at the reprimand. "She's got a point, sir. No one on my team would dream of saying anything, but..."

The Colonel gave an abrupt nod. Message received loud and clear. He'd have a word with Jack once Carter was out of the woods.

"SG-3, 12 and 13 are with me. We're going to retrieve the drone. SG-21, man the gate. Let's move out!"

* * *

The commissary was devoid of personnel at 0100. Most were sensible enough to leave the base when they weren't on duty. Apart from the medical staff who worked on a rota, and the few support personnel and SFs, the base was fairly empty.

Being deep underground, it was hard to tell that it was the middle of the night but for the lack of bustling airmen and officers milling about getting their meals.

Jack O'Neill dipped a finger into his coffee to fish out the tiny piece of lint floating around the dark liquid. The drink was now lukewarm and tasted revolting. He had no intention of drinking it, but having it in front of him gave him something to do with his hands, and should anyone look in through the doors they would assume he was having a drink rather than brooding.

Jacob wasn't as easily fooled. He'd employed this particular technique in the past and he'd sought out Jack specifically to check on the younger man. He'd been in the operations room when SG-1 had gated in, and seen Sam nestled in Jack's arms. His chest had tightened in panic when Jack had emerged from the event horizon carrying Jacob's motionless daughter. The vice had only loosened when he saw Jack whisper something to his daughter and Sam make a slight movement.

A gurney had been waiting along with Dr Fraiser, but O'Neill declined to put his burden down. It was outside protocol, but one look at the Colonel's demeanour and Fraiser consented to follow behind with her team.

Jacob and George had shared a knowing look.

The SGC's leader had chosen to remain silent, but it wasn't hard to determine what was going through his mind. Jacob was sure they were the same things in his own mind.

He'd delayed speaking to Jack until Doctor Fraiser had assured him that Sam was resting and would recover from her ordeal. Once his first concern was out of the way, he resolved to address the next one on the list.

Jacob studied Jack before entering the doors of the commissary. The transformation had been startling even after being forewarned by Sam about what the Asgard had done. He'd thought after seeing Jack's much younger clone, he'd be prepared, but seeing Jack this way had struck him even more for some reason.

Perhaps it was the realization that this younger Jack from outside appearances looked perfectly matched with his daughter.

Of course he knew how they felt for each other, Anise had been bound to disclose the whole Za'tarc affair because of Martouf's death. He long suspected that there were feelings there, well hidden, closely guarded, and never acted on.

He respected Jack for the latter. Selmak had speculated on Jack's motivation, that the reason the man had never pursued a relationship with Sam despite knowing her feelings for him, was that he'd felt unworthy of the much younger woman. Sixteen years wasn't a lot for a Tok'ra but Selmak understood from Jacob's memories that it was a taboo in American culture. Not a significant one, but add it up with all the other hurdles already in the way and it was another nail in the coffin.

It hadn't been a concern for Jacob; not much, anyway. Looking back at Sam's previous relationships, Jack was a godsend. He actually liked Jack despite the Colonel being occasionally a real pain in the mikta. His daughter was safe with Jack. He would protect Sam with his life, and had done so countless times, so Jacob knew he had no worries in that quarter.

Jack was a good man. He made Sam genuinely smile, something she didn't do all that often. He'd even heard her giggle at something Jack had said. She'd sounded so much like her mother then, that Jacob had to swallow a lump in his throat. Sam's mom had only laughed like that for him.

Jacob pushed open the door and made a beeline for the hot drinks area. He went for a herbal concoction that, before Selmak, he would've never let past his lips. The things you do for immortality...

_We're hardly immortal, Jacob._

_You know what I mean_, Jacob replied to his symbiote.

He set down his drink across the table from Jack and took his seat.

"How are you doing, kid?"

Jack visibly grimaced. "Don't even think of starting with that."

He grinned at Jack's discomfort. "Sorry. I couldn't help it." He gestured at Jack with his finger. "Looks good though. The Asgard did a great job."

Jack finally looked up from his coffee cup at Jacob. "Is there something you need from me, Jake, or are you here just to torture me?"

"Both, actually," Jacob said, still smiling. After a moment his expression suddenly sobered. "I wanted to hear your version of what happened back at the Alpha site. Teal'c filled me in on some of the details, but I wanted to hear what you have to say."

"Not much to tell. You can hear all about it at the briefing at 0800."

"I might not be here then. I don't know how much you've heard since you got back, but the alliance is screwed up right now, and I figure the best thing to do is head on back to the Tok'ra and try to iron things out. Don't know how much good it'll do, but at least if I'm there..."

"Yeah," Jack agreed. "You gonna stay until Carter wakes up?"

"I'll try."

Jack slouched back in his seat and recounted the day's events, leaving out the more intimate parts of the story, although he was afraid that those parts hadn't been well hidden and had been displayed quite prominently for everyone to see. "Carter did good," he concluded.

"So did you. I'm grateful, Jack. You saved her life once again."

Jack dismissed the compliment. "Nothing she hasn't done for all of us countless times. She's a brilliant officer."

"Yes," Jacob agreed. "She's a wonderful woman. Like her mom."

He saw Jack squirm, clearly uncomfortable at the direction of the conversation.

"She's always been so determined to make me proud," Jacob continued. "She doesn't realize that I've always been proud of her. It took me a while, took me almost dying to see that my daughter needed me to accept her choices and give my approval.

"But the thing is, she doesn't need my approval. She's a grown woman with her own life, with her own choices and really, who the hell am I to stand in her way? But Sam's stubborn like her old man, and it takes her a bit of time to see what's good for her."

He sighed at Jack's increasingly confused look. "You're stubborn too, Jack. God help us if you pass that on to my grandkids," Jacob lamented, shaking his head.

Jack's eyes widened comically, unable to believe what he'd just heard.

Jacob didn't even pause. "Something was bothering Sam back at the Alpha site. I told her we never talked any more, which I have to admit is partly my fault. This whole Tok'ra/Jaffa drama won't improve things."

"Jake-" the Colonel tried to interrupt.

"Just let me finish," Jacob held up his hand. "Since I'm not going to be around much, I want you to make sure that whatever is wrong with her gets fixed." He stared at Jack's bewildered face. "You're the only one I know I can trust with my daughter's happiness, Jack. She deserves to be happy, so don't disappoint me!"

Jacob quickly got up before Jack could say anything and exited the commissary. At this point, Jack was so flabbergasted that it didn't even occur to go after Sam's father and ask him to explain what the hell he meant by all that.

* * *

Daniel picked Sam up from the infirmary and informed her that Jack had already gone home to do some grocery shopping and that they would drop by her place to pick up some of her things before heading over to Jack's.

She'd tamped down her disappointment, accepting that it was in their best interest to lie low for a bit after their blatant display down in the gate room post-Alpha site. His very professional demeanor when he'd visited her last had been a warning of sorts: people had noticed and remarked on the incident.

Paranoia had her envisioning being called to General Hammond's office and told that she was being reassigned. The thought of being not on SG-1 had distressed her. The thought of not seeing Jack everyday made her feel absolutely sick. When no call came and Janet released her, she'd been somewhat mollified. SG-1 as it was would fight another day.

They stopped by Daniel's first to get him some fresh set of clothes before heading over to her place. She grabbed a few more things and noticed that the place was looking quite bare.

While she paid the mortgage and had all her furniture there, she lived mostly on base or at Jack's and Daniel's. Each time she came home she took more stuff out, and those things ended up in the Colonel's house.

The latter's guest bedroom was looking more like her bedroom. The once empty closet and chest of drawers were filled with Sam Carter's things. She briefly entertained the thought of just selling her house and moving in with Jack. That of course would be crossing the line so far into the other side that there would be no doubt.

While loading her stuff into the trunk of Daniel's car, she noticed an unfamiliar sedan parked across the street. There was nothing unusual about strange cars in her neighborhood, but the name 'Denver' stuck out from the license plate cover and she was reminded of the e-mail she'd received from Pete reminding her that she owed him a drink.

This was before she'd gone to the Alpha site and her subsequent injuries. She'd completely wiped it out of her mind, but the unfamiliar car reminded her.

"Everything okay, Sam?" Daniel asked after she settled into the passenger seat.

"Yeah. Just forgot to get rid of something."

* * *

Jack meandered through various aisles pushing an increasingly full shopping cart. With Jonas now a regular visitor to his abode, the larder was being depleted quicker than anticipated. His shopping load increased from two packages of weiners, buns and beer, to salads (Sam and Teal'c), various fruits (Jonas and again Teal'c), and whatever else Daniel tended to eat.

The guys weren't always there, it was normally just Daniel and Sam. However when they did come over they no longer felt the need to call ahead, so Sam had suggested that food in fridges and cupboards might just be a good idea.

After finding out from Fraiser that Sam was being discharged, Jack had rushed out of the mountain after coming off duty and headed directly to the supermarket, not even bothering to change out of his BDUs. He'd left his jacket in the truck to be less conspicuous, leaving him in his black uniform tee and green pants.

Even without the full uniform, he'd gotten a few smiles and nods from members of the public. It never occurred to Jack that these greetings mostly came from the female persuasion.

He passed by the bathroom aisle and made sure to pick up another bottle of Sam's shampoo since she was running low. _Oh, can't forget her shaving cream!_ She hated using his. Something about it not being frothy enough.

Satisfied that he'd loaded up on everything they would need, he made his way to the checkout and went to the shortest line he could find. It was Friday evening, not the best time to shop since the place was very busy.

Once his turn came, he transferred his shopping onto the conveyor belt, making sure to organize the packages according to where they were being stored. Fridge stuff, cleaning stuff, stuff going into cupboards, and bathroom stuff had to go in different bags.

Carter hated it when she had to go through multiple bags to locate different items. She said it was inefficient and her system worked better. Since she was the resident genius in the relationship, he'd done what he was told.

"Gosh, did they teach you that in the army? Your girlfriend is so lucky."

Jack whipped his head around the voice behind him. There stood a leggy blonde, a couple of inches shy of Carter, smiling brightly at him.

"Air Force, actually," he replied automatically.

"Oh, sorry! The uniforms kinda look the same to me."

He nodded in understanding and turned back to organizing his groceries. It seemed though that the blonde wasn't done with him.

"So, do you like, fly fighter planes? It's such an amazing job."

"Yep. Big honkin' ones."

"Wow! So, cool. I LOVED that movie 'Stealth'!"

Jack searched his memory but couldn't recall ever watching a movie by that name. Then he looked closer at the person in front of him and realized that she was pushing twenty at most.

_For crying out loud!_ _She probably wasn't even around for most of the 80s. This was ridiculous. Teenage girls were chatting him up. Carter would never let him hear the end of it. Daniel! Daniel must never know._

"Not really into that kind of movie," he lied.

"Oh, that's too bad, 'cause there's this really cool movie out right now-"

"How are you doing? Did you find everything you were looking for, sir?"

Ah, saved by the checkout guy!

"I'm great, thanks."

"Do you need help with packing?"

"No, no. I'll manage."

Jack pushed his cart quickly to the bagging area and helped himself to plastic bags there. He refused to look back to see whether the girl was watching him or not. It was total relief when she didn't say anything else once he was done paying for his stuff.

He was slightly perturbed by the whole thing, he thought as he loaded up the back of his truck. The girl was probably Cassie's age and he was definitely more than old enough to be her father. Then again, he was technically old enough to be Carter's father as well... _Gah! Don't think about it O'Neill. That's just so depressing._

The age thing had bothered him somewhat, but since Carter didn't seem to care all that much he didn't make a big deal out of it. Before they'd admitted their feelings for each other, he didn't even let himself think about it. Just added it to the list of why it very bad idea to pursue anything with his subordinate.

He now acknowledge that perhaps those sneaky Asgard had done him a favour after all, even if it had created a whole other mountain of problems. At least now, he felt as if he were actually vaguely acceptable for Carter, and not just some dirty old man.

Sam and Daniel were already there when he got home. He left the unloading to Spacemonkey and went to check on Sam in the guest bedroom.

When he got there, the room was empty and the bed untouched. Slightly puzzled, he looked in his bedroom and was pleasantly surprised to see that Carter was camped out on his big bed, tapping on her laptop.

He smiled at the sight. "I'm pretty sure that isn't what Doc had in mind when she sent you home."

Sam continued typing not bothering to look up from what she was doing. "No, but since I'm doing a lot of things lately that I'm not supposed to be doing, I figure this is just a small drop in the big bucket of infractions I'm guilty of."

He grinned mischievously and joined her on the bed, facing her. "You ended that sentence with a preposition," he said teasingly.

She finally looked up from the computer screen and raised her eyebrow at him. "I haven't completely forgiven you, so don't push it."

He continued smiling. "That threat would be more effective, Carter, if you weren't in my bed."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you complaining?"

"Hey," he said raising his hand placatingly. "No complaints. I'm just glad you're comfortable enough to take over my house. Mi casa and su whatever..." He gestured behind him with his thumb. "I'm gonna go help out Daniel. He keeps putting stuff in obscure places."

"That's because not everything goes in the fridge, Jack."

"Bread out of the fridge. Got it."

After dinner, Daniel retired to the now spare bedroom, grumbling that it had taken them so long to finally stop being idiots and let him have a proper bed.

Sam was still on pain meds and antibiotics, so Jack had sent her off to bed while he closed up the house for the night.

He found her almost asleep, huddled under the duvet, by the time he finished in the bathroom.

She rolled into his arms the moment he settled on his side of the bed. He held her close, inhaling her unique scent, a slight whiff of the soap they used at SGC infirmary. The smell was familiar enough with his own countless stays at Chez Napoleon.

"My dad said you guys talked."

"Hmm," he said in acknowledgement.

"He said he was proud of me."

"Yeah."

"I'm gonna miss him," she told him sadly.

"Come here," he whispered and pressed his lips to hers. He made to pull away, but she grabbed the back of his head and pulled it back to her so that his mouth was once again on hers, allowing her to deepen the kiss.

Her mouth opened under his and his tongue slipped into her mouth to tangle with her own. She moaned at the absolutely erotic contact. It had been so long since she'd tasted him, back in the locker room after Thor had returned him from the Asgard ship.

She suddenly felt light headed, feeling everything at once, and wanting him to press even deeper to her body. As it was, she could feel his reactions to her, the quick heartbeats, the heating of his skin, the hardness prodding her belly...

Sam pulled away from their kiss, her breath coming out in pants. Their heads pressed together, both of them trying to calm their bodies down.

Her body was still recuperating, but the ache she felt now was far more different from the one inflicted by the Supersoldier. This pain was because of what she so desperately wanted from Jack.

Almost dying, almost giving up had made her re-evaluate her priorities. The way the war was going, the feeling that they might not just win this particular battle, woke her up to the very real possibility that there would not be second chances, that what they had now could be IT.

The thought of losing Jack without ever knowing what it felt like to be completely his was like a staff wound her chest. Suddenly, waiting seemed silly when death and destruction constantly knocked at the iris.

She stupidly thought that having his love would be enough, that it would satisfy during those cold lonely nights. With the heat of his body seeping into hers, his breath feathering lightly on her lips, she knew without a doubt that it was never the case.

* * *

**There's Chapter 4. Many apologies for the delay. Took me longer to sort myself out and get this out to you guys. My beta's on hols and it took a bit of cajoling on my part to get him to look this over. Haven't started on Chapter 5 yet (Heroes 1&2) been too busy taking in this unusually hot week (For England anyways). Give me a holler to get me going ;-) **


	5. Heroes Part 1

**Credits: Recognisable dialogue from Heroes Part 1 are from Stargate SG-1 Solutions Transcripts.**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks for the folks who were kind enough to leave reviews. Much appreciated and I always reply back to discuss your concerns if you are signed on to FF. If you've got something to say, go on and drop me a line, mustn't be shy ;-)**

* * *

Emmett Bregman, the man assigned by the President of the United States to take the first official footage of Earth's first line of defense against alien aggressors, fiddled absent-mindedly with the metal wrapped around his left ring finger. It had been an unconscious action by him whenever he was preoccupied or confused since the day his new bride had slipped it on his finger. His late wife had called it his 'tell', a nervous tick she'd found endearing, and she told him that perhaps he was channeling her for help.

_Why the hell where there no signs?! Would it hurt to put a few signs around the damned place? How the hell was anyone supposed to find their way when absolutely everything looked the same!_

Dealing with the military was never a simple thing. The way military types worked seem to go against the way he dealt with things. As a journalist, he was a pretty open kind of guy. He was interested in the truth and exposing things in the light of day. He was good at his job, good at getting people to open up and tell him their innermost secrets. He was the best at what he did, and people trusted him. It was the main reason why the POTUS had chosen him for this... this job. The departing President knew that he was the right man to eke out a semblance of truth for the camera in a facility where secrecy and the clandestine was everyday life.

Bregman knew going in that these men and women would never volunteer any information of any sort. Interviews would be like pulling teeth. Every question would be answered with 'classified'. No, not that way. In order to learn what the SGC was truly about, he'd need to film them in action.

The President had balked at first, and General Jumper had given a succinct NO. After pleading his case, and pointing out that if it was to be a true documentary then he'd actually need to be documenting something, they had softened to the idea. He shot down the argument that filming on-going operations at the SGC might compromise operations. It would not be a live feed; it was a pre-recorded documentary that no one would see unless the program went public.

Finally, the President agreed to embed him with an exploratory SG team. General Hammond would have the final say of which team he could go on, and the team leader involved would have to agree. Lastly, he would be accompanied by a minder from the Pentagon familiar with the program and who would authorize what would and wouldn't be filmed. The officer involved would be tasked to answer his questions if allowed, and would coordinate with General Hammond to make sure proper protocol was followed.

Bregman suspected that the Pentagon lackey was actually there to babysit him and make sure that he didn't wander off like he was doing now. _Thank God for the Russians._ He was told the man had been delayed back in DC due to delicate negotiations.

The last corridor he'd been in looked identical to the one he was currently in. He now almost wished that someone in charge of the security cameras would see his confusion and come down to rescue him.

He continued walking until he found a break in the continuous hallways. Several doors were spaced out every five meters with the signs 'Gear Up' stuck to them. _Well, that's promising._

Choosing the first door, he turned the handle to find it unlocked. He pushed it open and stepped into the dim room, coming face to face with rows upon rows of lockers. The rest of the room was obscured by the maze that they formed.

He immediately heard muffled voices coming from deep within the locker room. It seemed that the place was occupied, and he hoped that they were willing to help him find his way back to Dale and Shep.

Bregman approached cautiously, not wanting to startle anyone. The last thing he needed was to end up in a head lock, choke hold, or worse, a gun pointed at his face. It would not be the first time.

The conversation became clearer as he got nearer and he could make out a woman's voice saying something about 'Alpha Site'.

"Reynolds had a word with him... Things were pretty fucked up, so no one was that surprised."

Bregman paused and flattened himself against a darkened wall. _It wouldn't hurt to listen first, right?_

"You think they've... you know..." It was the woman's voice again.

"Sal said he saw Jackson take her home," said the original male voice.

"He and the Colonel are close, he could be covering," another deep male voice replied.

"Even if he is, he's doing a great job of it," said the first man. "If the Colonel doesn't want anyone to know, no one's gonna know, comprende?"

There was silence and the second man answered an unasked question.

"Are you fucking kidding me? You don't know?"

"She's new, give her a break, Todd."

"Yeah, asshole. I'm brand spankin' new."

Sounds of shuffling and then laughter.

"Alright, Ken, listen up. Uncle Coop's gonna tell you a story. You ready? Wanna sit on my lap?" Guffaws. "I'll take that as a no. Right. So. Everyone knows he's Spec Ops, but that shit with the nuke on the first trip to Abydos, that's classic Black Ops. You only send the best crazy motherfuckers on that kind of detail. Best means your lead has experience in the shade.

"All the other guys - yeah, they're Spec Ops. The Colonel?..."

"Mofo kills and lies for a living, Ken. Don't let those good looks fool you. He's a mean SOB when provoked."

Another silence. Then a deep sigh. "Shit, that's HOT. Even if they aren't, she's one lucky bitch getting paid to watch that delicious six," 'Ken' said wistfully.

"Yeah and all you get is Hadden's skinny ass!" replied 'Todd', followed by raucous laughter.

Bregman pulled back, letting the laughter of the two men and woman mask his retreat from the gear up room.

He thought back to the intriguing conversation he'd just heard as he retraced his steps back to his assigned quarters. He could only speculate as to whom they were referring to, but from the mission files he'd been privy to, O'Neill had led the first mission to a planet called Abydos. The name had stuck because he'd covered stories in Egypt and one of the places had been Abydos.

It was difficult to read anything to do with the SGC without reading something about Colonel Jonathan O'Neill. He and Dr. Jackson were legends in the facility, the last of the original team that had gone on that first mission that changed everything.

While many of the personnel assigned to the facility were exceptional individuals, O'Neill stood out even from them. From all accounts, the man had accomplished extraordinary things even before he stepped foot on a another planet. He was now bigger than life after seven years of routinely exploring off-world.

Dale and Shep, his Air Force assigned cameraman and boom operator respectively, were both patiently waiting for him out in the corridor once he'd found his way back from where he'd started.

"What are you guys doing out here? Didn't I tell you to get some establishing shots?"

"Colonel Rundell ordered us back here. We're not allowed to shoot until the Pentagon liaison has briefed us," Dale replied.

"Rundell? Who-who's that? I've never heard of this guy. Why are you following his orders?"

"With respect, Mister Bregman," Shep replied. "He's a Colonel, and while we're not assigned to him, he is still our superior officer."

Bregman closed his eyes in exasperation. "Fine, fine. I get that. And what's with 'Mister Bregman'? I told you to call me Emmett."

"Yes, sir." Shep acknowledged.

Bregman rolled his eyes. "Anyway, did you get any shots at all? Capture the mood of the place."

Dale nodded. "Got some of the commissary."

"That's great," Bregman sighed. "Great start."

"Mister Bregman?"

He looked up to see a tall dark haired man wearing an Air Force uniform approaching.

"That's me."

The man held out his hand. "I'm Major Paul Davis, SGC liaison officer for the Pentagon. I apologize for my lateness."

Bregman took the proffered hand. "That's quite a mouthful, Major. Please call me Emmett. This is my posse," he gestured to Dale and Shep. "On camera-"

"Technical Sergeant Dale James, sir."

"And on sound-"

"Airman First Class Shep Wickenhouse, sir."

Davis nodded at them. "If you could follow me, we'll start the briefing over here."

"Um, Paul, is it? I've already been briefed. By the DoD. Couldn't we just, ya know, start shooting?"

The Major shook his head. "I'm sorry Mister Bregman, but General Hammond has insisted that we thoroughly brief you on what is expected while you are in the SGC. In particular, your possible presence off-world and what that implies."

Bregman raised his hand refusing to go any further. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but my 'Possible Presence Off-World'? I thought we've dealt with this. The President himself has authorized me to be embedded within a team. Why are we rehashing this old argument?"

"General Hammond wants to make it clear that the final decision as to whether you would be allowed off-world is at his discretion and subject to an SG team leader agreeing for us to accompany them."

"Right," Bregman said cautiously. "Can I speak to General Hammond?"

Davis tightened his mouth. "This way, Mister Bregman."

* * *

"Don't even breathe near it!"

Jack quickly pulled his hand away from the small device, suitably chastised. He gave out a long sigh and spun his seat around, using the lab counter for leverage. He eyed Carter who was busily tinkering with another larger device, trying with difficulty to ignore his presence in her lab.

"You hungry?" he asked her, this time sounding - even for him - whinier.

Carter resolutely refused to look up from her work. "Just do the stupid interview, Jack. That way you won't have to hide in here and I can actually do some work."

"You saying I distract you, Major?"

She smiled while tightening a screw. "Always."

He grinned widely. "Yeees. I do, don't I?"

She sighed loudly and finally put down her tool to address him properly. "I mean it, Jack. If you want us to actually have a chance of going home tonight, you have to let me finish this. I can't babysit you all morning."

He let out a deep breath. "Fine. I'll go bug Daniel instead. He's more fun anyway. I'll leave you and your doohickey alone." Jack hopped off the stool and grabbed his army green BDU shirt from the table.

Once he was out of the room, Sam rolled her eyes, smiling all the while. He was so cute when he was like that, but she really did need to finish her work. She doubted Area 51 would accept the excuse that she had been too busy eyeballing her commanding officer all morning as a reason for the unfinished device.

Jack wasn't the only person dreading the upcoming interviews that Hammond had told them the President had asked them to participate in. She wasn't entirely comfortable being in front of a camera, and she shuddered at the type of questions Emmett Bregman would be asking. She'd done a bit of research on the man and he was known for asking difficult questions.

She just hoped he didn't ask her anything too personal, especially anything pertaining to Jack.

* * *

After Hammond had made it explicitly clear that Bregman's presence was only being tolerated at best because of Presidential orders, Paul Davis led Bregman and his camera crew back to an empty briefing room, sat them down, and proceeded to lay down the rules.

"General Hammond has specifically stated that you are only to observe a specific ongoing mission and certain SGC operations. You are not to pursue anything that might be prejudicial to Air Force personnel. He feels that the men and women under his command have enough pressures put upon them without their decisions and actions being questioned."

Bregman raised his hand in surrender. "I'm not here to judge anyone, I'm simply here to ask questions about what it's like... I mean, these people go to other planets on a daily basis, I think the public would like insights into that, wouldn't you? I think they'd want to know exactly why we're doing this, why we're risking so much."

"You'll get your chance to ask those questions, Mister Bregman. I've scheduled interviews with key personnel today. Starting with Major Carter."

Bregman perked up. "That - that's great! Excellent. Who else? How about you, Major? I'm sure that, being the liason to the SGC, you have some thoughts to share..."

Davis looked uncomfortable. He glanced down at the folder in front of him. "Even if I did, I'm not at liberty to express personal opinions in my current capacity."

"And what capacity is that?" Bregman wondered out loud, trying to figure out the younger man.

The Major's expression hardened. He was no rookie when it came to protecting the SGC from outside forces. He took his job very seriously. He'd disseminate the truth if need be, it was in his job description, but this time he took the brutal truth approach.

"I'm here to look after the SGCs interests. My job is to make sure that nothing is recorded that would besmirch the reputation of this command and those serving under it."

Bregman looked aghast. "Are you saying you would censor me even though the President ordered you to let me film what I needed to film? That - that's... I thought you guys were straight shooters! Don't you have to obey what your commander in chief tells you?"

"I would never presume to disobey a direct order. The current POTUS is on his way out, Mister Bregman. My goal is for the SGC to continue to defend this planet long after he has departed. THAT is my primary concern."

Bregman looked at the stone-faced officer staring resolutely at him, and decided to take a different tack. "Right... Okay. Let's just move on. How about this mission were suppose to film. When's that happening?"

"Colonel Dave Dixon has agreed to let you tag along with SG-13 to P3X-666," Davis informed them.

"666? Sounds ominous. What's there?" Bregman tapped the eraser end of his pencil on a yellow notepad, making sure to take note of anything important.

"Standard recon mission," the Major explained. "Four man SG team, plus us of course. We haven't done an aerial survey, but we expect rough terrain so we'll be gearing you up with off-world equipment. All military personnel are expected to be armed," Davis gave James and Wickenhouse an expectant look. "I'm assuming you remember how to use the standard issue M-16?"

Both men nodded. "Good. We leave at seventeen hundred hours. That's daybreak on P3X-666."

Bregman put down his pencil and got up from his seat. "Great. So, in the meantime we could take some establishing shots... Maybe start on those interviews?"

Davis's stance softened somewhat and he led them out of the briefing room and down to the operations room. He gestured at the Stargate below. "We don't have any teams due back in the next few hours, so you're authorized to film in here and in the gate room. Major Carter will be joining us at midday. Feel free to speak to technicians and ask about the different equipment used to open the gate."

"Yesss. Thank you for the suggestion, Major. I'm sure that'll be, uh, interesting."

Bregman nudged Tech. Sgt. James to turn on the camera and begin filming. Their schedule was tight. They had only a few days to get all the footage they needed to tell the most amazing story in the history of mankind. What could possibly be the rush? he thought sarcastically.

* * *

Sam fidgeted nervously as Airman Wickenhouse wired her with a microphone. She saw Paul Davis standing to the side, clearly impatient with the whole affair. She was sure this was the last thing he wanted to be doing, but with the camera crew having somehow convinced the President to let them film off-world, he was really the only one qualified to the job. Not many officers had the patience to negotiate with world leaders, nosey journalists, the Joint Chiefs and also be combat ready.

She genuinely felt sorry for him, if only because she'd always liked him as an officer and a friend. Paul was one of the very few people who worked at the Pentagon that she felt comfortable dealing with. She knew that both General Hammond and Jack felt the same way.

Jack.

She'd have to be careful not to slip up. She'd been calling him that lately in private and it wouldn't do to address him so in the presence of others. It would be highly irregular and would undermine their commander-subordinate relationship.

"Don't worry about him," Bregman motioned to the Airman who was still fiddling with the microphone. "He only looks unprofessional."

She gave him an uncomfortable, tight lipped smile.

"You know, your General Hammond warned me that people might be less than enthusiastic about all this."

She gave a brief nod. "We did have trouble with a TV crew last year." She saw Paul wince at that. He'd been in the thick of that particular disaster, and he still found it a particularly sore point.

"Yes. I heard about that. The Prometheus thing. That's why the Air Force insisted on their own crew this time around," Bregman surmised.

"I think you might be sensing reluctance from people here to put themselves up on a pedestal. We are just doing our jobs."

"Just a job? Well I consider it my job to put you up on a pedestal, 'cause this job looks to me nothing short of extraordinary. And from what I read of your file, the same can be said about you personally."

Sam felt her face heat up at the compliment. "See, now I'm blushing."

"So you are," Bregman replied. "We should start. It'll look good on camera. Alright, let's go guys!" he glanced back to Sam. "You ready?"

She swallowed. "No."

"We're rolling," James informed them.

"Sound?" Bregman looked to Wickenhouse.

"Rolling."

"Okay. Major Samantha Carter. U.S. Air Force. Astrophysicist. Considered the foremost expert on the Stargate. You've explored territory that no one on Earth, in the history of Earth has ever seen, and you've fought an enemy that no one on Earth has even imagined."

Sam squirmed once again and gave a brief nod. She snuck a look at Paul and saw him cover his grin with a hand.

"Major Samantha Carter, meet the six and a half billion people of the planet Earth."

She stared shyly at the camera. "Hi."

Bregman begun with questions regarding how she came to join the program and assigned to the premier team. He seemed to be going easy on her until he broached the dreaded subject she had hoped he wouldn't ask about.

"How do you feel about Colonel O'Neill?"

She opened her mouth, not quite sure where to even start. She glanced at Paul who quirked an eyebrow at her, silently asking if she wanted to stop.

"Um... Well he's an amazing man. After everything he's done, he's still modest. Quite self-effacing, actually. He even likes people to think he's not as smart as he really is," _Boy have they got no idea just how much! The man was brilliant!_

She took a deep breath. "Bottom line, he's an incredibly strong leader who has given more of himself for this program than any man has given for… well… anything I can imagine," she finished.

"Do you spend a lot of time together outside of work?" Bregman scrutinized her.

Sam visibly flinched. _Oh, God! What was she supposed to say? She slept almost every night in his goddamned bed!_ "Um, we don't spend a lot of time outside work. When we do we tend to spend it as a team," she swallowed trying to desperately not to lie. Or even worse: Tell the truth. "Daniel and the Colonel are best friends." _Phew! _That wasn't a lie. She had a bad feeling though, that Jack would flay her alive for revealing that little tidbit.

Bregman nodded. "So, you do spend time together outside of work," he clarified.

"I guess. The nature of our work means we don't have much in common with people outside of the program. Unfortunately, very few people can accept that our lives are mostly classified. That basically only leaves the people we work with."

"You and Colonel O'Neill have many things in common?" Bregman probed further.

"Our personal interests are a little different," she told him honestly. She hated fishing. No interest in hockey or any other sport Jack liked to follow. She refused to eat his beer omelets.

"Huh," Bregman remarked. "Have you ever heard of the expression, 'Opposites Attract'?"

Sam looked directly at the camera before looking away again. "I'm not going to deny that the Colonel is a very attractive man... While we are friends, at work we have a very professional relationship."

"Of course," Bregman assured her. "But even at work, after all you've been through together, you must have, dare I say it? Faced death together."

Sam tamped down her irritation. _Where the hell was he getting this? Has anyone said anything?_ She was still embarrassed about the whole incident after the Alpha Site.

"Yeah. Not unlike countless military personnel throughout the years. Look, I-I won't deny that there's a bond between us. Daniel and Teal'c are also like family to me. Colonel O'Neill is first and foremost my superior officer. That's really all I have to say about that," she told him firmly.

He saw the exasperation on her face and decided to backtrack. "Okay, let's... uh... cut for now."

She felt suddenly claustrophobic and decided to get some air. She took a deep breath and pulled the mic off her without saying a word.

"Major?" Paul gave her a questioning look. She gave him a small smile, telling him silently that she'd be back. He nodded and let her go.

Once Carter was out of the room, Davis turned on Bregman. "What the hell was that about?"

"I'm sorry?" Bregman asked innocently.

"You know damned well what I'm talking about! I thought I made it clear that you were not to pursue anything that could be prejudicial to any Air Force personnel," Paul argued angrily.

"Look, Paul. People need to see the human side of this. They're not interested in scientific explanations and... and ranks! People want to get to know who these people are. What drives them to go out there everyday and wage war on their behalf-"

"You were asking whether Major Carter is having an unprofessional relationship with her commanding officer. The 2IC of this base, for goodness' sake! Do you even know what sort of mess that will create for the program if that sort of speculation gets out?!" Davis threw back furiously. "You risk putting the careers of two highly decorated officers under scrutiny-"

"Well maybe they should be!" Bregman cut him off. At his incredulous look, he expounded further. "Maybe we need to look at the people who we've entrusted the safety of the planet to and ask what sort of people they are. If they're going out there in my name," he pointed at himself, "and the name of the other six and a half billion people on this planet, they should be accountable for something. They should be prepared to be scrutinized!"

"Which could land them both with a court martial!" The Major retorted back. "Inappropriate behavior or not, any hint of professional misconduct will result in an inquiry by the Joint Chiefs. I know, because I'm going to be the one telling General Hammond that two of his best officers are being charged with conduct unbecoming an officer," he ended forcefully.

Wickenhouse and James both refused to look at the angry Major. They both knew that Bregman had gone a bit too far with Carter, and Davis was calling him on it. They watched as the tall, slender man exited the control room, presumably to find Major Carter.

* * *

Sam Carter cursed herself for being so damned transparent. She couldn't believe she'd actually admitted to finding her commanding officer attractive on camera. This was footage that would be seen by the President, the Joint Chiefs, General Hammond!

That last one terrified her. She had so much respect for the General and for him to think less of her... God, she needed to see Jack.

He was probably having lunch in his office to avoid Bregman and his camera crew. She'd also heard that Kinsey was presently at the SGC and it gave Jack more of a reason to hide. He hated the slimey little weasel with a passion.

She entered his office without bothering to knock. Jack was finishing off a large piece of chocolate cake. He sent her an expectant look.

"Something on your mind, Major?"

She shut the door behind her and deflated against it. "I think I screwed up," she told him helplessly.

He put down the plate he was holding and stood up to go to her. "Carter. You're not making sense... More than usual. What gives?"

"I may have told Bregman that I find you attractive," she rushed out. "I didn't mean to! I just didn't know what to say without actually lying." Her voice had risen in distress and Jack was increasingly becoming more confused.

"This is a disaster how?"

She shook her head incapable of replying. She hadn't really thought things through, which was usual for her. Then again, anything to do with Jack seemed to have that effect on her. "Can you just - can you hold me?"

Seeing the blatant vulnerability on the woman he loved, Jack was instantly at her side, pulling her into a hug. "Crap," he whispered against her neck. "I'm sorry, baby. I didn't realize just how upset you are."

He felt her shake her head in the negative and he nuzzled against her further, enveloping her completely in his arms. Jack didn't let her go until she was ready to pull away.

"I'm sorry," she said stepping back slightly from his embrace. "I don't really know what came over me."

He gave a small laugh. "You want me to kick his ass? Not that I think you couldn't..."

She giggled, relaxing somewhat. "It's stupid. He managed to rattle me. With Colonel Reynolds saying something-" she cut herself off, suddenly becoming serious.

He lifted her up her chin to look at him. "Hey. You got this, Carter. Don't worry about Bert. He knows how to keep his mouth shut. Just like everyone else in this facility. Besides," he grinned mischievously. "We still have nothing to be guilty about."

She snorted. "_Yet._"

He saw the heat creep into her eyes. "Yet," he repeated back, knowing that they were dangerously close to crossing the imaginary line.

Sam gave his hand a squeeze, reluctantly pulling away from his warmth. She'd needed him then and he'd been there for her. This was what she'd always wanted. Even without the sex, he managed to fulfill her in a way that no man ever had. It was amazing just how well he got her so completely.

She let his hand go. "I better go. Bregman's probably looking for me by now."

"Leave in a hurry did you?" Jack teased.

"Major Davis is probably carving him a new one by now."

"The shrub deserves it."

She smiled warmly at him, trying to convey what words couldn't. "I'll see you later."

* * *

The next person on Bregman's list was Daniel Jackson. After the disastrous interview with Major Carter, he'd decided to cut his losses and not ask her any more personal questions. When she'd come back to complete the rest of her interview, she'd been defensive and unwilling to elaborate on most things.

He'd proceeded to grill her about whether she thought the Program should be made public and she'd refused to give him a straight answer. It made his questioning seem confrontational and that was the last thing he wanted. He needed their trust and appearing like he was on a witch hunt would not accomplish anything.

Davis had cooled down somewhat. The Major had said nothing further with regards to their earlier argument which relieved Bregman. Not even a day and he'd already managed to piss off their minder, something that didn't bode well for the upcoming mission.

He refused to even think about what was happening that evening. It was too mind boggling. If he thought about it too much, he'd probably throw up in excitement.

They were now in Doctor Jackson's office setting up the shot with the young archaeologist who'd started it all.

"I don't think I've asked the following question before in my entire career. But, what was it like to be…well, dead?"

Daniel bristled. "I wasn't exactly dead."

"Oh, you were—what was the word? You were, transcended?"

"Ascended," Daniel corrected, slightly irked.

"Ascended."

Daniel squashed the urge to roll his eyes._ Yeesh. Of all the things to ask!_

"Yeah. Well, actually, I did have the unfortunate experience of, um, dying, first. Uh, slowly and- and quite painfully, first, I might add."

Bregman perused his file and Daniel, ever curious, read over his shoulder.

"Well, in your mission file, it says your human…I'm quoting here, your human body: 'transformed into energy. A bright white light rose above the hospital bed.' Is that-"

"Yeah," Daniel confirmed with a nod.

"… Accurate? So could you, Dr. Jackson, could you I don't know…Elaborate? I mean what- what- what did it feel like?"

Daniel mumbled out a response, setting Bregman on edge. "Well, I don't know. I-I really don't remember much after that."

Bregman stared long at the younger man, trying to see if he was deliberately being difficult. Hammond did warn him...

He sighed and sorted through his notes to see if he could find a different approach. Doctor Jackson was starting to look bored and distracted, and Bregman knew he didn't have much time before the Doctor came up with an excuse to end the conversation.

Bregman put down his file and decided to continue in the same vain from where he'd begun. "Great, um, Dr. Jackson…I'm just gonna…Your memory was erased when you returned to let's—I'm quoting here: 'human form.' That sounds completely idiotic," He muttered to Davis who was standing next to James. "Could you remind me? Make a note. I have to re-ask that question."

He didn't see Davis roll his eyes. Daniel did and had to stifle a grin. Seems Paul took this as seriously as they rest of them did.

"Just, sorry, could you, you know? What can you tell us about all that?"

Daniel's eyebrows rose at the question. "Not much." He saw the journalist beginning to look annoyed.

"Okay, well, can you tell us a little bit about what things were like before that?"

"Oh, well, thankfully, I have most of those memories back. There are still a few…holes," he said looking away now lost in thought.

Bregman went back to his notes. "Okay. 'The Pharaohs of the Fourth Dynasty did not build the pyramids'."

_Ooh. Now we're talking!_ This was something he was comfortable with.

"No. No, they didn't. They're actually landing pads for Goa'uld motherships."

"No, I'm quoting you from a speech that you made before you were introduced to the Stargate. Now, I presume that at that time, you knew nothing about landing platforms or motherships, right?"

He nodded slightly puzzled. "Right. No."

"Until you were introduced to Catherine Langford…"

"Right."

"And she's the one who introduced you to the Stargate program…"

"Right," he replied once more.

"So. Why?"

Daniel frowned at him in confusion. "Why what?"

He heard the older man sigh in frustration. He'd clearly never had to deal with Jack O'Neill on daily basis, Daniel thought affectionately of his best friend.

"Um, why did she do that?"

Daniel refocused on the interview. "I don't know. You'd have to ask her."

Bregman paused before continuing on. "Okay, fine. Maybe I'll ask her. Is she transcended, or ascended, or something like that?"

"No, uh, retired, actually, but uh, you never know." He grinned at the thought of Catherine ascending. The woman would find it a hoot.

"Um, yeah..." Bregman closed his folder and stood up. "I think that's it for now, Doctor Jackson."

"Yeah, that's it? Cool," he said pushing away from the table to stretch. He'd been arranging his pack when Bregman and crew had come in. While he wasn't due to go off-world for another few days, Jack insisted that they had their stuff prepared just in case they were called to embark on an emergency.

"See you later, Daniel," Davis was the last one out behind Bregman.

"See ya, Paul!" Daniel gave a quick wave.

* * *

"_Paul?_" Bregman repeated. "I was starting to think there you guys had no first names."

Davis shrugged and continued walking along the corridor. "Doctor Jackson and I have worked together in the past."

"AND we're back to 'Doctor Jackson'. What happened to 'Daniel'?"

"He's 'Doctor Jackson' to you. You're not here to make friends. You're here to record the SGC for posterity."

"Ouch!" Bregman pretended hurt. "That's very sangfroid of you, Paul. I thought you were thawing a bit there for a- a moment."

Davis ignored Bregman's attempt at banter and focused on the tasks ahead. "The rest of the afternoon will be with Doctor Fraiser in the infirmary. From there, we'll go back to the briefing room and join SG-13 where you'll familiarize yourselves with Colonel Dixon's team. He'll be explaining what's expected for this mission. We'll head over to the gear-up room after that and Master Sgt. Siler and I will help you with your kit."

"Oh, so you've been off-world before, I take it?" Bregman asked, quite surprised.

"From time to time, I have to deal with our off-world allies, so yes."

"Wow- that's- that's... I didn't realize!" Bregman suddenly stopped mid-stride and just stood in the middle of the hallway. "I just- It's just suddenly hit me what we're about to do. I, uh..." He had no idea how to finish that thought.

Davis took pity on him and allowed his expression to soften. "You'll be fine, Mister Bregman. It's just like stepping into another room. Except, you'll be on another planet," he concluded with a grin.

Bregman let out a nervous laugh. Wickenhouse and James smiled nervously at each other, feeling the same apprehension as the journalist.

They arrive at the Infirmary and Bregman was pleasantly surprised by Doctor Fraiser's warm greeting. So far, most of the personnel had either avoided him or given him the cold shoulder. Sometimes both. It was a nice change to speak to someone who was actually willing to be interviewed. Refreshing. Doctor Janet Fraiser was like a breath of fresh air in the recycled air environment of the SGC.

"Okay. I guess I can give you an example of the sorts of injuries we might see from day to day. Any particular person-"

"Colonel O'Neill," Bregman offered up before she could finish. "Colonel O'Neill would be a good, um, sample..."

Fraiser grinned and nodded her head in acquiescence. "Sure. He's got one of the bigger files."

Her white lab coat swished behind her as she made her way to her office and a minute later, returned with three rather large files.

"Let's see..." she says opening the file on top. "Three gunshot wounds. Four staff weapon burns. Severe hypothermia..." she looked over to Major Davis. "You sure he's authorized me to discuss all this?"

At his amused nod, she continued listing the catalogue of injuries. "Nanite technology artificially aged him... He had his shoulder punctured by an alien time capsule device. Three knee operations, which I guess isn't really germane any longer," she said as an aside.

"I'm surprised he's still in the field then," Bregman noted. "I haven't actually met the Colonel yet in person, he seems to be avoiding me," he complained lightly. "But from all accounts, he's been doing this a long time, even before he joined the program. He- um, he must be in extraordinary physical shape for a man his age."

Fraiser glanced at Major Davis as if asking permission for something. "He's an extraordinary man," she finally replied with a guarded smile.

"So I've been told," Bregman replied back.

She picked up another folder and glanced through the contents. "Anyway," she said quickly changing the subject. "This one's a good one," she continued with a perky voice. "Last year, he was exposed to an Ancient incurable disease."

"Obviously, not incurable, right? Or..." Bregman made a 'moving on' gesture with his right hand.

"Well, fortunately, there was a Tok'ra symbiote in need of a temporary host at the time. It managed to do the trick."

He shook his head slowly in confusion. "I don't understand a word you just said, but it sounds amazing that Colonel O'Neill is alive."

She grinned at his stupefaction. "Yeah, you know, I never know what's next. You just try and keep your head on straight. Then again, we also set a lot of broken bones and prescribe a ton of antibiotics, so…"

Bregman came closer, almost as if asking something confidential, despite the camera rolling in the background. "Still, it sometimes must be overwhelming, right?"

"Yeah. It's funny. You know, you think all the training, everything we know about medicine, really, it amounts to very little. I mean, often I'm faced with situations that there's really nothing I can do."

"Is there an upside?"

She grinned once more. "Are you kidding me? I think the reason we all manage to persevere is because we feel that we're on the brink of understanding so much more. And not just about medicine, but about who we are. You know, where we came from, what the future has in store, how we fit into the grand scheme of things."

Bregman smiled warmly at the Doctor, impressed by her easy presence.

"Thank you, Doctor Fraiser," he lingered on her face for a moment before addressing his crew. "You know what, guys, why don't you go roll some cutaways and get some sound bites over there?" He gestured towards the nurses treating a lanky man with glasses.

Fraiser looked at him in confusion. "So this…?" She made a cutting motion across her neck.

"Yeah, we're good. Thank you. Appreciate it."

Fraiser got up from her seat and started gathering up Colonel O'Neill's medical files.

James and Wickenhouse slowly moved their equipment, Bregman giving them short instructions. Not paying much attention, Wickenhouse accidentally took a swipe at Bregman's head with the boom mic as he moved away.

"Sorry."

Bregman clutched at his head maneuvering past his sound man. "Ow. Ow. What-what? Yes, I know you're… I'm glad the Pentagon sent you. Just go away."

He made his way to Janet Fraiser who was trying hard to hide her smile.

"Um, listen. I was just wondering. So it seems like the-uh-the unpredictable happens around here a lot."

She laughed, letting her amusement show. "Yes, pretty much."

"Yeah, yeah. Um, and you're not going to be needed for this thing?" he motioned to Siler who was being looked after by a bevy of nurses.

"Well, if I am, they know where to find me."

"I was just asking because I was thinking of getting something to eat in the cafeteria which I'm not even sure where…"

Janet pointed at Davis who was checking his watch. Busted. Bregman reddened at his attempt at subtlety.

"Would you like to join me for lunch?" Janet decided to take the bull by the horns.

Bregman smiled, slightly embarrassed but pleased that she chose to put him out of his misery. "Yeah. I'd like that."

He sighed in relief then noticed out of the corner of his eye that James had the camera pointed at them. He glared at the young sergeant. " What are you doing? What are you doing?"

Fraiser turned towards James.

"I'm just white balancing," he told Bregman.

Bregman shooed him away. "Well, go balance the white somewhere else, okay? Somewhere else!"

"I'm going to dump these first, okay?" She lifted the folders and disappeared into her office.

Davis chose to stay with James and Wickenhouse in the infirmary and told Bregman that he should be at the briefing room no later than fifteen hundred hours.

He chatted amicably with Doctor Fraiser on their way to the commissary. The food was apparently free, and she instructed him to grab whatever he wanted. "Make sure you eat up. Once you're in the field the only thing to eat are MREs." She feigned a shudder.

She'd already found a table and was sat in front of it by the time he got his food selection sorted. He wasn't a picky eater by any means, but military food wasn't known for its gourmet quality.

He sat across from her and dug into his sandwich. She had far less on her tray, but she wasn't the one going off-world that evening.

He chewed on his sandwich carefully, watching as the woman in front of him ate bits of fruit from her cocktail. He must've looked besotted, because she flushed at his intent stare.

"Oh, sorry. I was just-I was just thinking that you have a very natural quality," he explained to her.

She stifled a smile by covering her mouth with a white napkin.

"I mean, on camera, You let me film, you allow people to see grace under pressure."

Fraiser took a sip from her mug, smiling with bemusement. "Hmm. Are you, um, are you flirting with me?"

He chuckled at the awkward question. "Well, see, I, on the other hand, am very clumsy under pressure."

She laughed. "Well, I've seen worse."

Her eyes drifted to his left hand holding his coffee mug. "So, uh, what's with the ring?"

Bregman was clearly startled by the question. "Oh, uh, it's just sentimental. My wife died a few years ago. So how do any of you have a personal life?" He asked changing the subject.

Janet thought about her life outside of the SGC or the lack thereof. "We don't really. I spend most of my time outside work with my daughter."

She saw him try in vain to hide his disappointment. "Oh, so you're-you're married."

"No. No. She's adopted," she quickly reassured him.

"Oh," his tone changed into a hopeful one.

"Mm-hmm. She's from another planet," Janet proclaimed nonchalantly. She took another bite of her fruit salad and carefully watched his reaction. He looked like he'd swallowed a fly. Clearly not expecting that particular response.

"Okay. Um, would you be willing to talk about that on camera?"

Janet shook her head. Always the reporter. "I'd rather not. Cassie's very sensitive about her past. I doubt she'd appreciate it being broadcast around the world for everyone to see."

Bregman quirked an eyebrow at her statement. "So, you think that the world should know about what's going out here? "

She raised her hand in denial. "Didn't say that, Emmett. In the event that it does go out, I don't want Cassie's past plastered all over the newspapers. She's gone through more than any child should ever go through. She deserves to live a normal life."

"You called me Emmett," he wondered in awe.

"That is your name, isn't it?"

"Yes- Yes. It's just that... You know what? Nevermind. Can I call you Janet?"

She smiled widely and gave him leave to do so. She motioned to his half-eaten tray of food. "You should eat up. Colonel Dixon's not exactly known for taking things easy in the field. You'll need your strength. Doctor's orders," she added grinning.

He checked his watch and seemed to realize that he didn't have much time left before the briefing. "Don't worry," Janet assured him. "I'll get you there on time. Dave knows not to bellyache in front of me even if you're late."

Looking at her, with her no nonsense approach to life, Emmett Bregman could believe it.

* * *

As promised, Janet delivered him to the briefing room just in time. She wished him good luck and left to return to the infirmary.

All three members of SG-13 were seated around the table along with Major Davis and Bregman's film crew. A man, whom he assumed was Colonel Dave Dixon, was at the coffee machine pouring a cup of the dark liquid.

Tall, closely cropped military hair, and a swagger that screamed alpha male, Colonel Dixon was what Bregman had always pictured as the stereotypical soldier.

"Right. Now that everyone's here, we'll begin." Dixon sat at the head of the table. He pointed at a ginger haired man sitting at his right hand side. "You start, Balinsky."

The awkward looking young man cleared his throat and looked around the table to acknowledge those sitting around it. "Doctor Cameron John Balinsky. Archaeologist. I work with both SG-13 and SG-22. I like to play tennis in my spare time-"

"Geez, Balinsky, this isn't a speed dating night," Dixon interrupted. He pointed at the guy next to the embarrassed archaeologist. "Wells."

The young man straightened. "Senior Airman Simon Wells."

Dixon pointed to the next guy. "Senior Airman Jake Bosworth."

"Great. You know my guys," Dixon concluded. "Paul's already introduced me to your crew, so you're the only one left Mister Bregman."

He glanced at Major Davis before turning his attention back to the Colonel. "That- That was nice of him."

Dixon gave him a warning smile. "You'll find Mister Bregman, that we're all nice as long as you follow orders. I'm sure I don't have to elaborate on what happens when you don't..." he trailed off.

After a short briefing where he was told repeatedly to stick close to Davis and Wells, Dixon ordered them to gear up then head over to the armoury for a short lesson on their equipment.

Bregman clumsily adjusted the fastenings on his helmet as they stood around the armoury with Master Sergeant Siler who appeared to have recovered quickly from whatever injury he'd sustained earlier on the day.

"First off, do not remove your armour no matter how hot and uncomfortable it gets. These new inserts will only work if you're actually wearing your vests," Siler told them firmly.

"Secondly, make sure you know which team member has the GDO. Do not, I repeat, do not go through the gate without a confirmation that your IDC has been received and that you're good to go. Otherwise, you will go splat against the iris."

Bregman glanced at Wickenhouse who started to look sick. "Relax, Shep," he told the young soldier. "Major Davis and Airman Wells have done this before. We'll get them to go first," he chuckled, trying to hide his own anxiety.

Siler continued with his spiel. "Thirdly, know the IDC. Memorize it now. Do not write it down anywhere and do not ever disclose it to anyone. It would be tantamount to giving the keys of your house to burglars."

Siler went to the back of the armoury and returned with three alien looking weapons. He handed one to Shep, then to Dale and finally to Paul who clearly knew how to use the thing and had slipped the weapon into a holster at the side of his right leg.

The two men nervously studied the alien weapon they'd been handed, careful not to activate it accidentally. They both looked expectantly at Siler.

"This weapon is called a zat'nik'tel or zat for short. It's a Goa'uld weapon that is initially used to stun a person into unconsciousness, but can also kill immediately with a second shot. A third shot will vaporize a person or object."

"Vaporize?" Wickenhouse asked for clarification. "As in..."

"Poof. Disappear. Cease to be. As in no more." Major Davis elucidated. "As long as you're not trigger happy, it's far safer to use than any projectile weapon. Just think first before you shoot again."

Wickenhouse and James both holstered the alien weapon and Siler moved on to side arms. Neither of the young men were given a P90s since they weren't trained in the use of that particular weapon. With its shorter barrel, the P90 was better for close quarter combat than the longer barrelled M16.

Lastly, they were given radios and standard issue packs. Although it was only a day long mission, things had gone wrong in the past and SGC teams were required to carry basic survival kits with them.

By the time they were fully kitted up, Bregman felt he weighed an extra hundred pounds. He was hot, feeling extremely clumsy with the overly large uniform, and his combat boots were pinching. At this rate, he wouldn't even make it past the gate before he collapsed in exhaustion.

They gathered in the gate room, Colonel Dixon coming in last. It was the first time he'd actually been in the same level as the gate and Bregman couldn't help but think that it was even more massive when looking from below. The large circle took up most of the room and above it was the towering shaft of the the disused silo. He'd read somewhere that was how the gate had been lowered down many stories to its current location.

He studied the men around him and he was sure that he and his crew stood in complete contrast to SG-13 and Major Davis. The latter appeared relaxed as if going to another planet on the other side of the galaxy was just another day at work. Now that he thought about it, it probably was. It was frightening to think that these people had become blasé about interstellar travel. It boggled the mind. This reality that he'd become part of was bad science fiction for the rest of the world. Again, he wondered what the public reaction would be if it ever did get out - or even if it should...

Shep Wickenhouse and Dale James, he noted, were looking increasingly ill at ease as each chevron was dialed and encoded. Once the seventh chevron locked and the great backwash of what appeared to be water, but Major Carter had explained as the event horizon, flew out of the large ring, all three of them jumped in surprise.

"Holy shit!" James exclaimed in awe. He couldn't take his eyes off the rippling, glowing surface inside of the gate. Wickenhouse was equally agog, unable to say anything at the spectacular display before him.

"That's - that's amazing," Bregman managed to rasp out. His throat felt dry from the nervousness and anxiety. Despite all he'd read, all the explanations and theories he'd been given, seeing was believing.

He grabbed James's shoulder without taking his eyes off the stargate. "Start filming, start filming." The Tech Sergeant activated his specially mounted combat video camera that was atop his helmet.

They held back and waited by the ramp as Dixon, Balinsky and Boswell went ahead and disappeared into the wormhole.

"Godspeed, Mister Bregman."

He looked up behind him and saw that it was General Hammond who had spoken from a microphone in the control room. The portly general gave him a brief nod and Bregman waved back absently.

"Let's go, Mister Bregman," Paul Davis ushered him and his bewildered crew up the ramp. "Airman Wells and I will watch your six."

He shuffled towards the Stargate, his legs feeling leaden. He saw both James and Wickenhouse briefly hesitate in front of the event horizon before Davis and Wells pushed them both in. Davis gave him a reassuring smile. "You're turn. Just walk through."

Bregman reached out to touch shimmering surface, feeling the coldness from the skin of his hand. "One small step for Man..." he muttered, before disappearing through the gate.

* * *

**As you probably realise by now, this long chapter is actually setting up events for Heroes Part 2. I found it quite hard to write, mostly because I had to really plan out where I was deviating from canon. I'm still very conflicted about certain events in Part 2 (I bet you have an idea of what I'm referring) and whether to stick to canon or go for a story line I've been contemplating. Let me know what you think. **


	6. Heroes Part 2

**Without further ado, Heroes Part 2...**

* * *

Warm sticky red fluid seeped through the increasingly saturated compress under his hands. So much of it was leaking from the airman's front that they'd chosen to turn him on his back to staunch the bleeding. The metallic smell of blood combined with the stench of burned flesh threatened his already heaving stomach. Adrenaline was coursing through his veins making the sensations even worse.

All around him there were sounds of gunfire and the even more dreadful 'whoomp, whoomp, whoomp' of what he'd been told were staff weapons fire. It was the same weapon that had felled the man below him and dragged them into this impromptu battle.

Constant radio chatter from the now familiar voices filled the air. Colonel Dixon was frantically asking for backup from the SGC and was being told that SG-3 had just gone through and were being followed by SG-1, SG-5 and SG-7 along with Doctor Fraiser.

He glanced at James who was crouched down a feet away, clutching the fallen airman's MP-5, covering their asses from advancing Jaffa. He briefly noted that the camera mounted on his helmet was probably still recording, capturing every moment of the sights and sounds of battle. As a filmmaker, this was the stuff dreams were made of, the realism of war unhindered. But all he felt was the need for it to stop. He didn't want this anymore. He wanted the boring footages of ancient ruins on a barren planet. This had become too real, too fast.

"It hurts, it hurts."

His attention returned to the man he was desperately trying to keep alive and felt hopelessness creep in. "Help's on its way, Simon. You have to hang in there okay? For that son of yours." He saw Airman Wells nod, pain written all over his tense body.

"I need some fresh gauze, Shep."

"Here." Shep Wickenhouse readily provided the white material to replace the now dark red ones he'd been using. The young airman looked as white as the gauze he'd just handed to Bregman. He was pretty sure the young man was in the early stages of shock.

"Over here! Man down over here!" Shep suddenly begun shouting.

Bregman looked away from Wickenhouse and saw a familiar small figure coming down a slope accompanied by Doctor Jackson hurrying towards them.

"Right here," Shep told them. "There's a lot of blood coming from under him so we moved him... I'm gonna help Major Davis cover you guys up on this ridge." He glanced briefly at Bregman before moving quickly away from him and Wells. James handed Shep the MP-5 and the cameraman un-holstered his side arm, keeping silently on guard.

Doctor Fraiser started working on Wells the moment her knees hit the ground, rapidly assessing his injuries not even giving Bregman a brief glance. "I'm Doctor Janet Fraiser. Can you hear me?"

"Yeah. It hurts so bad. I can't move -I can't feel my legs. I think it went right through me," Wells panted out in pain.

Daniel acknowledged Bregman and handed him something soft to put under Wells's head.

"Hey, Simon. The calvary's here. You just gotta keep it together, okay?" Bregman said to him soothingly.

"It's Simon, right?" Jackson asked him.

"I'm Senior Airman Wells. Am I going to die?"

The matter of fact question left Bregman shaken to the core.

"Not if I have anything to do with it," Fraiser replied. She continued to work on his injury, leaving the reassurances to Jackson and Bregman.

"I'm Daniel Jackson," the archaeologist introduced himself.

"I know. I know. SG-1," Wells gasped through the pain.

"Okay, you're gonna be fine," Jackson said in a calm, soothing manner. It was such a juxtaposition from the fight raging around them.

"That sonavabitch! He came out of nowhere! He shot me in the back."

"Just talk about something else right now, Simon. Uh, what's going on at home right now?"

"Uh, my wife... is pregnant."

"Yeah, that your - that your first?"

"Showed us the ultrasound and everything, didn't you Simon?" Bregman added to the bizarre conversation.

"Congratulations," Daniel told him. Bregman saw Wells wince and then let out an anguished cry as Fraiser probed the wound.

"That's good, at least you felt that."

He turned away in relief that Simon Wells was at least not paralyzed. Static from the radio broke through his morbid musings.

_"Colonel O'Neill, our position is being compromised! We're not going to be able to hold the gate for long!"_

_"It doesn't matter. We're not gonna be able to hold this position for long!"_

"Colonel, I'm gonna need more time to stabilize this patient. He can't be moved yet!" Fraiser said to her radio.

"Go without me! Leave me!"

"Nobody is going anywhere," she told him reassuringly.

"I can't believe I'm not gonna see my son," Wells sobbed out.

_"Roger that, Doc. Be advised. This fight is coming your way. You have to hold until we're at your position."_

All of them looked up at that, including Davis and Wickenhouse on the ridge.

"Okay. Just stay focused. Stay focused," Daniel mumbled out. "You-you-you know it's a boy you're gonna have, right?"

Wells yelled out in pain. "Oh god, oh god, tell me the truth. I'm not gonna make it, right?"

Jackson accepted the I.V. bag of saline from Fraiser and held it up right.

"You're gonna be fine."

"Mister Bregman? Please-please-please, just let me tell my wife... Let me tell my wife that-" he screamed as Fraiser delved into his wound.

The three of them exchanged worried looks and looked to Fraiser for guidance. She nodded in agreement and Bregman signaled for James to come closer.

"Okay-okay."

"Got it," she said managing to clamp the artery. "Breathe, Simon." Fraiser ordered.

Bregman took Wells's hand and enveloped it with his own. "Okay, Simon. You can tell her yourself now." He nodded at James who lowered his head to point the camera down at Airman Wells.

"I'm so sorry about this. Ah!" he cried out. "I love you so much... God, I-I just wanted..." he screamed in agony and his body shaking from the pain. A sob came out of Dale James, the torment of the man before him had become too much to watch, and he closed his eyes.

"Oh god! Oh god! Shut it off! Shut it off! I don't want her to see me die. Please! God!"

James fell back on his butt, scrambling backwards to respect the dying man's wishes.

His face was streaked with tears, tracks visible on his dirty face. He saw Bregman nod at him in reassurance.

"Simon. Simon! Look at me! You are not going to die, okay? I did not come all the way here for nothing. Now, I've stemmed the bleeding. We're going to get you on a stretcher. We're going to get you home with your family in no time, okay? Now you hang in there, Airman!"

They all straightened at her commanding tone, her confidence giving them a morsel of hope that they would get out of this.

"Yes, ma'am!" Wells replied much more calmly.

She mobilized them into action, getting Jackson and James to lay out the stretcher and lift Wells onto it while Bregman held the drip and the airman's hand.

_"We're almost at your position, Doc. Be ready to move out."_ Colonel O'Neill's voice came over the radio.

"Acknowledged. We're ready to go, Colonel," Fraiser spoke to her vest.

"Incoming!" Major Davis yelled out, sliding down from the ridge. Staff blasts flew overhead and they took to the ground for cover.

"Colonel! We have to move. Our position's been compromised!" Davis yelled into his radio.

_"Hold your position, I repeat hold your position. We have them in our sights, Major. We're coming in hot from the direction of the gate; hold your fire in that arc."_

They readied themselves for the incoming onslaught. Fraiser's attention was focused solely on Airman Wells. Bregman watched her stroke the young man's forehead moving his sweat soaked hair from his face.

More staff weapons fire erupted around them, the answering staccato of P90s and M4s nearby alerting them to the calvary's imminent arrival. _"Hold your fire! We've dispatched the Jaffa at your position."_

A bubble of insane laughter almost rose out of Bregman._ Dispatched_. What an utterly clinical word for killing, he thought darkly.

SG teams converged at their location. Colonel Dixon's back appeared at the top of the ridge, his arms shaking from recoil. He checked behind him before running down, O'Neill covering his retreat with a hail of bullets aimed at the Jaffa.

"Let's move! Let's move!" Dixon yelled out.

They lifted the stretcher off the ground and followed Dixon to the direction of the gate.

Bregman looked behind him and finally got a glimpse of the elusive Colonel O'Neill. He was the last one to withdraw, yelling out orders over the radio for all units to fall back to the gate.

Their mad dash had his lungs and muscles burning. He knew he wasn't taking in enough air by the cramp on his side. How O'Neill was able to run, shoot, and shout out orders amazed him. From what he'd read the Colonel was close to the same age as himself and yet the soldier he saw rushing back and forth didn't show the frailty one would expect in a man in of his advanced years.

His musings had taken his mind off the pain radiating from his side and the black spots swimming in his vision. He sincerely hoped that he could draw some of that endless energy that O'Neill was displaying or he'd end up flat on his face, his name added to the casualty list.

* * *

_"The gate is not secure. I repeat. The gate is not secure!"_

The announcement from SG-3 had O'Neill cursing. They were now at a half-run, the stretcher slowing their progress. Dixon was on point along with SG-5, while SG-1 and 7 covered their flanks and their six. They only had a few minutes before they would be pinned down.

The gate was in an indefensible location forcing SG-3 to retreat to a more secure area. It looked like they would have to fight their way to the gate, the Jaffa advancing on two fronts, one behind them and the other being held back by SG-3. Reynolds's team was sandwiched between their means of escape and the determined Jaffa who wanted to capture the _Chappa'ai._

They had the element of surprise on their side. The Jaffa advancing on SG-3 didn't know they were about to be pincered between SG teams. Their advantage wouldn't last long though, their slow progress meant that Jaffa reinforcements on their rear weren't far behind.

O'Neill and Carter went ahead to assist in engaging the Jaffa coming at SG-3. They flanked the oblivious Jaffa, Dixon's team approaching slightly from the side. O'Neill ordered Reynolds to reduce their rate of fire, making it look like they were running out of ammo to flush out the Jaffa who were currently behind cover.

Once Reynolds and his team decreased their fire rate to single shots, the Jaffa quickly went to offensive, exposing their position which the SG teams on their flank and rear used to their advantage.

SG-3 hunkered down behind boulders as bullets from P90s and M4s zipped past them.

* * *

_"All call signs, we have incoming. Repeat we have incoming."_

Bregman heard staff weapons fire coming from the path they'd just taken. He saw several airmen running back to hold off the approaching Jaffa.

"We're clear to the gate, Major!" It was Airman Bosworth beckoning them forward.

"Alright, let's move!" Davis ordered them to follow Bosworth and they sprinted in the direction of the gate, careful not to trip on dead Jaffa. The very live enemy wasn't far away, and soon the team were taking cover once again, the three members of SG-1 and Colonel Dixon providing covering fire to protect their retreat to the gate.

_"This is SG-3. The gate is secure. The gate is secure."_

He could see the Stargate looming close; the wormhole had established and the blue puddle called them to safety. They were so close. Fifty yards away at most. Most of the way there was exposed and he knew those last few yards were the most treacherous. SG-3 were on their bellies at either side of the DHD, laying low while pouring suppressing fire onto the Jaffa.

"Go, go, go, go, go, go!" The Major galvanized them towards the gate, Jackson and Wickenhouse with the stretcher, Doctor Fraiser alongside them holding the I.V. drip. He felt rather than saw Dale running beside him several yards from Wickenhouse, so focused was he on not tripping. Davis had sprinted ahead to clear the stretcher's path, his MP5 held to his side.

Jackson and Wickenhouse accelerated to the gate, Fraiser and the stretcher between them, when out of nowhere a streak of light zinged past Bregman and impacted Doctor Fraiser's back. The force of the blast propelled her forward into the event horizon and off the planet.

"Noooo!" He didn't hear himself yell out or feel himself fall forward, taking Dale with him. All he saw was Janet's body being hit, falling, falling, then disappear into the puddle. His heart was in his throat, a hardening lump that made it difficult to breathe.

His left arm felt like it was being pulled from its socket, he vaguely realized it was from Dale tugging hard at it to pull him up.

"...Come on, come on! Mister Bregman, we have to go!"

He knew he should get up, run for safety, but his body felt frozen to the ground. Battles raged all around them, enemy weapons fire becoming more frequent overhead. He could see O'Neill crouched down ten yards from Carter methodically taking out Jaffa with his P90 on single shots. They were low on ammo and there would be no more clips coming from the gate. With each Jaffa he downed, two more took his place.

The Colonel suddenly popped out from behind the boulder and took aim at something behind Dave Dixon who had his eye trained on his own scope. O'Neill fired several rounds eliminating the threat. What took only a few seconds suddenly felt like a lifetime when a stray staff shot struck O'Neill dead center, right on his chest. The Colonel flew backwards, impacting the ground hard, smoke lazily rising from the staff wound.

"Siiiiiir!"

He saw Carter break cover and run towards her fallen CO.

"Oh my God, oh my God. We have to help them," he told Dale, pulling at the Sergeant's uniform. He still had his Alice pack on, unlike the other airmen. He'd been told it had first aid kits inside. Coagulants. Morphine.

He regained control of his muscles and they managed to crawl the distance to where O'Neill had fallen.

"Oh God, Jack. Come on, don't do this to me. Open your eyes, Jack, open your eyes!" They heard Major Carter babbling frantically. Her hands hovering over his chest, unsure as to where she should check first. She finally settled on checking his pulse, she sobbed out loud at what she found.

"Don't do this. I can't lose you. Not like this, not now..." she searched through her pockets, looking for something to cover his wound.

"Here, Major." Bregman handed her a thick pad of gauze. He'd ripped open his pack and dumped the contents of the first aid kit on the ground. Her wet blue eyes flickered to him in surprised gratitude before her attention returned to the fallen Colonel.

He watched Carter tend to O'Neill's wound, noting the distress and devastation on her face. She kept whispering his name and when it became evident that she could not do anything for him out in the field, she tenderly stroked his face and hair.

Teal'c appeared beside them. "I will carry him, Major Carter. We must move quickly. We cannot hold the gate for long."

She nodded wordlessly, more tears rolling down her cheeks, pooling to her chin. She sniffed and seemed to pull herself together. "Alright. Let's go."

* * *

The changing room lay silent and empty, so quiet that the drip, drip, drip of a leaky shower echoed in the room. Emmett Bregman sat hunched over on a wooden bench facing a wall of metal lockers, his BDUs still streaked with blood and dirt.

Something stopped him from removing the uniform, getting into the shower and washing off any evidence that the day had ever happened. If only it were that easy. Turn a knob and three people wouldn't be hurt and dying.

It was a miracle that no one else was hurt. The number of Jaffa that lay dead on the stretch of open field around the gate back on P3X-666 was testimony to the skill and fortitude of the SG teams involved in the fire fight. It turned his stomach that he'd stepped over so many bodies, even tripping on one in their rush to the gate. While he accepted that they were enemy combatants, he couldn't help but think that those Jaffa still had families and loved ones they were never coming home to.

To wash away the day felt almost like erasing those people from existence. He was even more determined now to tell this story, to show the world the ugliness that would corrupt them if not for the sacrifices of the Jack O'Neills, Janet Fraisers, and Simon Wellses.

Those people like Samantha Carter, a soldier in love with her commanding officer, going out there every single day to fight the fight knowing that the man she loves would have to lay his life down at any moment. There would be no happy ending for them.

A little boy would be born without a father, his mother never knowing what really happened, the real reason why he wouldn't be there to raise their son with her. She would not know how truly noble her sacrifice was, how it wasn't just for her country, but for the galaxy they all inhabit.

Janet Fraiser would just be another name in Arlington, the world would remain unaware of her courage, her compassion... The big heart inside that small frame, large enough to take pity on an unwanted journalist about to be thrust in the cruel realities of war.

People needed to see the very real threat out there. See the faces of their enemies who were also victims in this war that none of them started but fought, one side in the name of false gods, and the other in the name of freedom. They needed to put faces above the names on headstones. When the world was ready, he would make sure they had that.

When his eyes closed, all he saw was Janet's small body being hurled forward by a staff blast. He'd almost expected to stumble into her injured form when they came running through Earth's gate, but the first team that escaped were no longer present in the gateroom.

A med team was standing by and Teal'c deposited O'Neill on the gurney where he'd promptly stopped breathing. The last thing he saw was a young woman on top of the Colonel, pumping at his heart while they were wheeled away to the infirmary.

Major Carter had been inconsolable, her long strides eating up the distance behind the disappearing gurney. Teal'c had stood frozen by the ramp looking forlornly up at General Hammond who'd signaled him to come up.

He and Dale James had stood side by side still in complete shock. Major Davis came to their rescue and led them to the locker room where he was now. Because of the number of casualties, med teams were assigned to assess each SG team member to check for minor injuries or in the camera crew's case, shock.

They were eventually given the all clear and sent to their base quarters to rest. Major Davis was expected to report to the General immediately after getting checked out. The Major told him to clean up and get some rest. Bregman had yet to obey his request.

"Hey."

Speaking of which...

"Have you been sitting here all this time?"

Bregman wearily nodded.

Davis came closer and sat next to him. "You okay, Emmett?"

Bregman laughed. "Finally!"

"It's the least you deserve for what you did out there."

He turned to look at the younger man. "Really. You- uh- you think I did OK?"

"Airman Wells wouldn't be alive if you didn't."

"So he's...?"

Davis nodded. "Still critical, but alive." He paused for a moment before telling Emmett his news. "The footage Dale shot... The NID want to use it as evidence for their inquiry."

He looked startled at Davis. "Evidence? What for?"

Davis stiffened, his face showing the anger he felt. "They're questioning Hammond's orders. They think that mounting a rescue operation was a bad call on his part, and he should've prioritized your extraction."

"And what? Leave an injured man to die?!" Bregman argued hotly.

"It was an acceptable loss. As cruel as it sounds, we all have dollar signs attached to our name and rank."

"'Acceptable loss'," he repeated. "So, what's not an 'acceptable loss' then?"

"Two high ranking officers," Davis replied, his voice cold.

"I, uh... There's footage there that..."

Davis caught his meaning. "You have until Mister Woolsey arrives. Make the edit look convincing."

"Thank you, Paul."

"No. Thank YOU."

Major Davis stood up and made his way to the exit. Like Bregman, his BDU was also still covered in muck.

"Hey, Paul?"

The Major turned back. "Yeah?"

"Have you heard anything about..."

Davis shook his head. "I didn't get the chance. I'll head over to the infirmary and talk to Doctor Jackson. I'll let you know once I find out something."

Emmett tried to smile in gratitude, but his heart just wasn't in it.

Alone once again, he thought back to his first day at the SGC. Everything seemed so clear now in comparison. Names had faces attached to them; the mystery couple those airmen had been discussing in the gear up room now had a history. Their willingness to cover for each other, their solidarity, made so much more sense. Major Carter had been right when she'd said that facing life and death together really forged those bonds of friendship.

While Sam Carter was in love with Jack O'Neill, it wasn't just him she was willing to give her life for, it was all of them. Truly, it was a far greater love that motivated these men and women, a love that lay down his life for a friend.

* * *

**Yeah, it's ambiguous, I know. As a thank you for being so fluffy and taking the time to say such nice things, I'll be sending all the reviewers from last chapter a sneak preview of an interlude prior to Lost City Part 1 before I send it to my beta. You guys motivated me to finish this current, difficult chapter, so thank you! **


	7. Interlude: Inauguration

**Takes place between "Heroes Part 2" and during "Inauguration".**

**A quick a thank you to my awesome reviewers. I hope the sneak peak of this chapter tided you over while I wrote the rest of it. I had such positive response last chapter; You guys obviously liked the action and suspense. This one is quite tame in comparison before we jump into another two parter: Lost City 1 and 2. I hope you still enjoy though. As always, your feedback is invaluable to me. **

* * *

"I miss this. Sometimes I forget there's all this outside the mountain. This is the reason why we're in there in the first place."

Sam adjusted the large white and blue striped blanket that was wrapped around them to ward off the chill of the ocean breeze. The air tasted of brine and she imagined she could see the salt misting in the air as the waves broke on the shore. The two of them cut a lonely figure in the empty stretch of beach.

She sat between his folded up knees, her mostly naked back plastered against his bare, firmly muscled chest. This was the closest they'd had to full blown intimacy. This was as close to naked he'd ever seen her. The scraps of material she called a bikini didn't leave much to the imagination.

"There's the trees off-world," he pointed out. "You see that all the time. Don't forget that little tropical planet where the beaches go on forever."

"Hmm. Not the same. Not our trees. Not our shores."

She closed her eyes and sunk deeper into his embrace. Her hair was stiffening from the salty water drying on the unwashed strands. Jack's was in a similar state, the brown mess streaked with highlights from his time under the sun.

He nuzzled her exposed neck, his tongue flicking out to taste her salty skin. Emboldened by the flavour and warmth of it, her impassioned groans, his teeth and lips joined in, sucking the firm skin into his mouth.

Sam felt herself liquefy. Her thighs tensed together to relieve the ache between her legs. She pushed back against him, butting the hardness covered by boardshorts. It would be so easy. No one would know...

"I wish I was tasting something else right now. Something far wetter and saltier." He felt her nails bite into the skin of his left thigh. He chuckled by her ear, the deep warm sound making her dizzy with want.

"Stop seducing me."

She felt him smile against her skin.

"Do you really mean that?"

"You know I don't. I never want you to stop. I don't think you ever stopped since the day we met."

"That's because I've always wanted you," he told her sincerely. He kissed behind her ear.

She shivered from the brief contact.

"Me too," she said turning sideways to look at him. She caressed his smooth jaw, his face so youthful again.

He grinned at her. "You saying you only want me for my bodacious body?"

She laughed at his silliness. "Always, Colonel," she said winking at him.

"Well... duh. I mean look at me. Teal'c says I'm gorgeous."

Sam laughed even harder.

* * *

She gasped out loud, waking from the vivid dream. A memory of not so long ago.

The skin around her eyes felt crusty from dried tears. She'd fallen asleep crying, clutching his pillow, the one from his base quarters where she'd ended up after being released from the infirmary.

She thought of her dream. That day had been a good one. Full of laughter and friendship and most of all, love.

They'd frolicked in the water, Jack teaching them all how to surf. Even Daniel whose balance wasn't the greatest had gotten in the act. He'd nearly drowned. As usual Jonas took to it like he was born on a surfboard, annoying the struggling Daniel to no end. Teal'c had chosen to paddle out and just sit on his board far from shore.

"Major Carter?"

She turned to the open doorway and saw Jonas holding a tray of food.

He smiled cautiously at her. "Doctor Jackson sent me to check on you. Teal'c suggested I bring sustenance."

She nodded and motioned for him to enter. He walked in and set the tray on an otherwise empty desk with a solitary lamp that cast the only light in the room.

"I didn't realize you were back from Area 51," she said after a moment of silence. She went to inspect the tray from the commissary before putting the lid back on the plate.

"Don't like lemon chicken? I can get something else..." Jonas gestured over his shoulder.

"It's fine. I guess I'm just not that hungry."

"That's understandable," Jonas said, smiling slightly. "I don't think anyone's in the mood for anything at the moment... It's like we're all in mourning."

"No one's actually dead." Yet.

"Doctor Jackson suggested once you've gotten enough rest and… ate something, that you might want to sit with the Colonel. He's going to spell Cassandra. She hasn't moved since Doctor Fraiser came out of surgery."

Sam sighed and bit her lip in consternation. She'd been so selfish holing up here. Cassie was her responsibility too, but she'd felt so emotionally and physically drained that she'd left everything to Daniel, trusting that he'd do the right thing for all of them.

It was unfair of her. Daniel was suffering too. He needed her support as much as she needed his. Both of their normal pillars of strength were fighting for their lives. It was Janet they all turned to when someone on the team was injured, it never occurred to them who they would turn to when she was the one stricken. It never occurred that she would ever be in that position.

"Give me a few minutes to clean up."

"You should try to eat something," Jonas suggested gently.

She nodded. "I will. After I see the Colonel."

He sighed in resignation and picked up the untouched tray.

* * *

The lettuce definitely needed to go. It was wilted beyond saving. He was certain that fresh tomatoes didn't have dark spots on them. Or hair. The carrots were somewhat springy; he'd heard that if you could tie knot in a carrot that it was no longer fresh. They had to go too. Even Jonas set a limit to what he would consider eating past the sell by date.

Thinking laterally, he pulled out the entire vegetable drawer from the fridge and dumped the entire contents into a waiting garbage bag. He left the drawer by the sink with the honest intention to clean it later. He'd never hear the end of it if Sam found out that he didn't at least give it a rinse.

The milk seemed okay. It was unopened, one of those organic ones in a box that lasted over six weeks. Jack bought those specifically for when they weren't sure when they would be coming back from a mission. Nothing like dry Fruit Loops in the morning to get Jack in a foul mood all day.

Meat was fine because Sam always had the forethought to move the meats from the fridge into the freezer before they left for missions or had overnighters on base. With Anubis systematically taking over Goa'uld territories, these overnighters had become more frequent. With Jack laid up and the whole base on tenterhooks with regards to Janet's condition he wasn't holding much hope of contributing to the fight. The best he could do was go through translations and research with Jonas and Nyan. If they somehow found something, anything that could lead them to an Ancient weapons cache or the Lost City then they might just have a chance in taking the fight to Anubis.

Daniel closed the fridge door, satisfied that nothing else was growing in there. The 'behemoth' as he'd tentatively started calling it after Jack had come home with the extra large family-sized fridge, was once more ready to accept hundreds of dollars worth of food. He'd joked at the time that Jack seemed to like everything big and he'd asked if his friend was compensating for something. Sam had doubled over in laughter and had managed to gasp out, "Definitely NOT!" How she knew that didn't bear contemplating.

He shut off the lights in the newly refurbished kitchen and went around the rest of the house to check that doors were locked. Unlike Jack, he wasn't keen on sleeping in an unsecured house. Jack, on the other hand, was confident that he was far more dangerous than anyone who was stupid enough to break into his home.

After cleaning his teeth, he collapsed onto the bed in the guest room - his room these days, he mentally corrected. The only reason he hadn't chosen to move into Jack's house permanently was that he was convinced, or at least really hoped, that Sam and Jack would find a way to be properly together and pump out those future O'Neills. He figured that when you were deeply in love with someone, it came with the territory.

It was such a relief being able to think of the future again. For those few hours and then days, it was all a blank. Nothing outside of the present existed because the future was too scary to contemplate and the past was still too raw to think about.

When Jack had opened his eyes and started to fight the breathing tube down his throat, the vice around their hearts had loosened. Doctor Brightman had been so impressed by the rate of his recovery that she'd started spouting out a list of tests she could run. The classic O'Neill glare levelled at her was confirmation that Jack would be okay.

Sam was still refusing to leave the mountain, even to go home to Jack's place. It seemed that she was past caring what people thought and was determined to spend every moment with Jack during his recovery. She'd made one trip off base, and that was with Cassie to the Academy hospital where Janet had been transferred for specialist care.

The only reason Janet was still around was that Cassie refused to pull the plug. The doc rarely went to combat situations and had never updated her living will. It became invalid after her divorce, and Cassie became her next of kin.

Her prognosis wasn't promising. She'd suffered grave injuries from the staff blast and trauma to her head from hitting the metal and concrete when she'd been ejected by the wormhole. While they'd manage to stabilize the staff wound, the swelling to her brain posed more complications. Doctors were not sure if she would ever wake up. The ventilator did her breathing, tests showed that there was minimal brain activity. If she ever did come out of the coma, she would not be the same Janet Fraiser that had gone to that planet.

They'd all accepted Cassie's decision and promised to support her in whatever way they could. Daniel, Jonas and Teal'c took turns watching the young woman. When one was at the hospital, another was with Sam and Jack, keeping up appearances. The last thing Hammond needed to deal with was a court martial. It was his turn tonight to go home and have time to himself.

It was a temporary arrangement that would alter once Jack was recovered and they were back on the missions rota. Hammond couldn't afford to keep them off any longer than necessary. Difficult decisions would have to be made with regards to Janet, a decision that ultimately fell on Cassie as her next of kin.

* * *

The rhythmic beeps of the ECG and the asthmatic wheeze of the ventilator were her only companions in the otherwise lifeless room. Janet's daughter sat curled up on a black leather easy chair in loose grey yoga bottoms and an Air Force blue hoodie. Her feet were encased in fluffy purple Uggs, light brown hair in a messy top knot, blue-grey eyes rimmed with the red of exhaustion and bouts of crying.

Cassie stared morosely at the up and down motion of her mother's chest, the machine beside her bed responsible for the motion. She knew this was not what Janet would have wanted; to be kept alive artificially by machines with no hope of ever waking up.

Yet something inside Cassie completely rejected the idea of turning off the respirator and allowing her mother to naturally fade away. Something told her not to give up hope yet, that miracles had happened in the past, usually at the hands of some alien ally or technology procured from the gate.

If she pulled the plug now and one day, one week or one month from now a sarcophagus came into their possession, or the Asgard suddenly showed up or even the Tok'ra with a spare symbiote, then she would never ever forgive herself.

She knew that everyone, including Sam thought she was going against what Janet wanted. They accepted her decision and continued to support her, but she knew they were only doing so because they thought she couldn't handle losing another parent. She didn't dare tell them her real fears and why she still had hope.

It would only burden them, put undue pressure on them to contact their - of late, absent - allies. She feared they would put their lives at risk in order to obtain the necessary technology to help her mother. That was something she and Janet would never want even if it meant dying. Both of them believed in saving lives, a path she was now even more determined to follow. Putting people at risk for a sliver of hope did not fit in that system of belief.

It had been Jonas's turn to check on her that afternoon. He'd brought her some food from a diner he and SG-1 frequented and sat with her while she ate and asked for the Nth time whether she wanted to go home and get some rest. He offered to stay with Janet until she got back the next day.

She'd refused, of course. Jonas had a life as did the rest of SG-1, or at least what constituted as a life when you were in SG-1's circle. That life mostly involved work under a top secret mountain and off-world, balanced with the occasional BBQs at Jack's.

This was something she'd decided on and it was a burden she would have to bear alone. No one else should have to be put out because she was holding out hope for something that might never happen.

For a few hours at least she'd been able to smile and talk to someone who actually responded. She found that she actually liked Jonas - it was very hard not to - and that they had a few things in common. Nirti was one such, along with the far more obvious not being from Earth.

Perhaps it was the smaller age gap, but she found it easier to talk to him as an equal rather than as a parental figure like the rest of SG-1. He was quickly becoming a good friend and she was starting to look forward to his visits.

The soft whoosh of the automatic sliding doors broke through her thoughts and she looked up to see a tall, slender man standing at the threshold of the room, clutching his Air Force regulation flight cap.

"I'm sorry, Miss Fraiser, I didn't realize you would still be here. The nurses said to go right in."

The wall facing the hallway was made entirely of glass, with vertical blinds for privacy. They were drawn closed in the evenings and so the Major could be forgiven for thinking no one was around.

Cassie straightened and moved the wisps of hair that fell over her eyes. "It's alright, Major. I guess they're taking it for granted that I'd be here. The guys usually just come in anyway."

He half smiled and came further into the room. "I didn't get the chance to properly introduce myself back at the SGC." He approached her and held out his hand. "Paul Davis."

She got up from her seat and shook his hand. Her cool hand felt wonderful in his warm, dry ones. She hadn't realized how cold she'd been feeling just sitting there unmoving. It was like she'd been unconsciously mimicking her mother's stillness.

It wasn't until he cleared his throat that she realized that she was still holding his hand and staring into his green eyes. She gave him an embarrassed smile breaking away from his nervous gaze and let his hand go.

He stepped back and motioned to her mother. "Any change?"

She sighed and sat back down. "No."

"I wanted to stop by and see her," he said inclining his head at Janet, "Before I went back to Washington. I'm not sure when I'll be in these parts next, so..."

She watched him fidget with his cap. He was looking down on the floor as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world.

"Major-"

"This is my fault."

They both said at the same time.

Her mouth hung open, her next words frozen in her throat.

His intense gaze didn't waver from the floor. "I was covering the gate. It was my job to make sure that the med team got through... I, uh, saw the Jaffa. I saw him aim and I was -" he swallowed before continuing. "I was a fraction of a second too late downing him. He fired before I could. The blast was aimed at me. It should've hit me. Instead -" He shook his head unable to continue. He finally looked up at her, his eyes wet, fighting hard to reign back his emotions. "I'm sorry," he told her softly.

She had no idea what to say. The thing that came out was, "Oh."

He shifted uncomfortably on his feet, she was sure he was itching to run. She wasn't exactly making this easy on him. Part of her wanted to let him take the blame. It would be easy to channel all her frustration and anger at the situation on someone present instead of some faceless dead Jaffa who was just doing his god's bidding. It would be personal that way. She could swear at him and hit him and call him all sorts of names.

Instead she found herself saying, "Do you want to get some coffee with me?"

He looked at her, startled. "Coffee?" he asked as if the concept was entirely foreign.

"Yeah. Coffee. If I'm going to absolve you of guilt, you need to at least buy me a cup and a danish or two."

His expression lightened and then he laughed. "I think I can do that. Although -" he paused. "I didn't actually expect forgiveness. I just wanted you to know that I regret what happened. Your mother didn't deserve this."

"Neither did Airman Wells or Jack. Nor did the countless people the Goa'uld have killed, including my entire planet," she told him, her voice deep with emotions.

He looked at her with compassion at the mention of her people.

"I know that it wasn't your fault," she assured him. "You couldn't have stopped what happened. Jack is the best out there and he still got caught out. Even the best run out of luck sometimes."

A look of gratitude appeared on his face. He understood that she was better equipped more than most to deal with hurt and death in the hands of the Goa'uld.

"So, do I still get that coffee?" she asked him lightly.

He grinned and she saw that he looked much younger when he wasn't playing the role of an overly serious Air Force Major. "Yeah. You get that coffee."

* * *

"Why'd you have to go and do that, huh? Saving my dumb ass like that." Dave Dixon took over Sam's seat at the infirmary after Dave promised her that he'd stay with Jack until she got back.

"Four reasons," Jack rasped out. His throat was still raw from being intubated.

"Yeah. Okay. Well the little boogers are gonna know Uncle Jack, you got that? They're gonna know their old man's here to hassle 'em because of you. Lainie'll probably insist on baking cake. So, yeah."

"Looking forward to the cake," Jack grinned.

"Yeah, cake or worse... The fifth one'll be called Jack even if she's a girl."

Jack raised his eyebrows at that "Fifth? As in..."

Dave grimaced. "We may have gotten careless the other night. After I told her about Wells she started crying. Then I told her what you did - annnnd she freaked out. Nothing like the thought of losing her husband to get a woman going, apparently."

"Ah!" Jack screwed his face in discomfort at the thought. "TMI," he said after a moment.

Dave shook his head grinning. "Man, you really need to get laid. I think all of SG-1 does. Maybe not Teal'c. The guy's pretty mellow these days."

"Her name's Ishta," Jack informed him. At Dave's confused look, he clarified. "The source of the mellow."

"Thus confirming my statement," Dave said, leaning back on his seat.

"What statement is that, sir?" Sam was back in a fresh uniform and cup of steaming coffee.

"That for me, Carter?" Jack jutted his chin at the cup she was holding.

"Not if Doctor Brightman has anything to do with it. I hear she rewards good behaviour with early release."

"Unlike the Napoleonic Power Monger..." Jack trailed off realizing what he'd been about to say. Both Sam and Dave averted their gazes, unwilling to touch that festering wound.

After an uncomfortable silence, Dave got up and bid farewell to both of them. He was taking some much needed time with his family while Wells was recovering in the infirmary.

Sam took back her seat and blew on her piping hot beverage.

"That smells so good," Jack croaked out in envy.

Sam smiled in apology. "Sorry. I don't want to get caught doing something naughty. I want to get you home as soon as possible."

"So you can do something naughty to me?" he wiggled his brows at her.

She put her coffee down on the side table atop an abandoned cryptic crossword puzzle and scooted closer to him. "I seriously thought that was it," she whispered to him, very aware that the walls had ears. She bit her lip to keep her treacherous tears at bay. "When you were lying there. Then I could barely feel a pulse..." She stared at him with watery eyes. "You should be dead. If it weren't for the insert and your unique physiology-"

"Hey," he said stopping her. "I'm here. The O'Neill luck held out. It'll continue to hold out-"

She shook her head. "I don't know if I can keep doing this with you."

His heart sunk, his throat suddenly feeling like it was closing up. "What are you saying?" he asked cautiously.

"I don't want to do this anymore. This pretending. I want the real thing, Jack," she told him firmly. "When we leave here, I want us to finally decide where this is going."

"Carter," he said, relief flooding through his veins. "That was so not what I thought you were going to say. "

She grinned at him. "You don't mind then?"

He shook his head, then grimaced. "I admit, the talking thing is so not my... thing. But we can't keep kicking the can down the road."

She looked at him askance. "A cliché?"

"I've been known to mangle a few in my time," he smirked.

Sam pulled back to a more appropriate distance, hyper-aware that tongues were wagging at their recent behavior. While her crying fit from the gateroom to the infirmary could be explained away as a crash of emotions after a trying battle, her constant presence at her CO's bedside instead of Janet's was more difficult to overlook. She reached for her neglected brew and grimaced at the now tepid liquid.

"I'm so desperate for that right now, I'd drink it cold," Jack told her, his eyes staring longingly at the styrofoam cup.

"You promise to get better soon and our first stop before home will be that little coffee shop a couple of blocks away from Daniel's." Jack always performed at his best with the right incentives.

"Pinky promise?" He held out his small finger.

"How about we kiss on it instead?" Sam quickly glanced around the room before leaning forward and touching her lips to his. She lingered for a moment before pulling away.

She laughed at the frozen look of surprise on his face. He certainly didn't see that coming!

* * *

Richard Woolsey turned away and pressed his back on the cold concrete wall of the SGC infirmary hallway. He closed his eyes briefly, his lips pressed tightly together in a grimace of disapproval.

Twenty-four hours before, this indecision would not have been an issue. If Kinsey had not effectively threatened the office of the POTUS he wouldn't have thought twice about handing the Vice President compelling evidence to start an investigation on personal misconduct of the members of SG-1.

It was somewhat of an irony then that if Kinsey had not made those threats in the first place, there would be no reason for him to see General Hammond, come down to the infirmary to check on Doctor Fraiser's condition and inadvertently bear witness to the blatant breach of protocol between Carter and O'Neill. Something that the VP would dearly love to use to indict the SGC.

Like he'd told Hammond, his original opinion had not altered. He still believed that the SGC needed oversight and it was misconduct like this that it was designed to root out and discipline.

Yet in light of recent events, his personal view had changed somewhat. Things were no longer black and white. He could not in good conscience hand the VP the leverage he needed to gain control of the SGC when the man in question had shown such callous disregard for the office in which he was suppose to serve.

While Kinsey had no compunction at destroying the lives of these highly decorated officers, Richard Woolsey's personal morals gave him pause. It warred with his need for impartiality, to completely deliver pertinent facts and evidence to those he served. He really did consider himself a man of integrity and as such he would need to think carefully about what he'd seen, if he should report it and who he would report it to.

Once more, he patted the disk tucked inside his suit jacket just over his heart. It was crucial evidence that President Hayes needed to see. He just hoped that the man they elected as their leader was far more honorable than his running mate.

* * *

**What will Woolsey do? What SHOULD he do? Ah, those pesky moral hazards... **


	8. Lost City 1 and 2

**Many apologies for taking so long to get this out to you guys. All the parents out there with school aged children (In the US) know it's back to school month and will no doubt understand. I hope the length of this chapter makes up for it. This was supposed to be a short one, but it went in a completely different direction. **

**As always, thank you to my reviewers (the usuals and new ones), you guys make it worthwhile. To _Kahuna_ - I'm sorry I can't reply to your wonderful messages, but I want you to know how much I appreciate your reviews. Thank you so much. I'm working on that miracle =)**

* * *

It was one of the quietest and most morose dinners that Daniel had ever attended, which was saying something since he grew up in the foster care system and had had the pleasure of bunking with some very peculiar people.

He'd been in charge of food that night, and instead of attempting to cook what was in the fridge he'd opted to order take out from O'Malley's to save time on clean up. None of them were particularly inclined to do house chores on a day when everything had gone FUBAR.

Jonas and Cassie had picked up on the tension and had also remained quiet throughout the meal. Both were ignorant of what had transpired earlier that day, having spent most of it at Janet's bedside. It was promising though that recent events had not impacted the appetites of what was the Jonas and Teal'c eating machine. While he, Cassie, Sam, and Jack had eaten modest amounts, Teal'c was casting an intimidating glare at Jonas in contest for the last rack of ribs.

The ex-Kelownan, valuing his life more than the piece of meat, raised his hands in surrender. The action at least brought some levity to the table when Cassie cracked a smile at the impromptu pantomime.

The sound of a fork cluttering on a plate drew Daniel's attention to Sam. The salad she'd been moving around during dinner remained uneaten.

"I'm really not hungry. I think I'm just gonna turn in. It's been a long day." She didn't look at anybody as she made her excuses. Sam simply stood up and left the table.

Jack wiped his mouth with a disposable napkin and pushed his own plate away. "I think I'm going to join her." He tried to smile at all of them, but failed in his attempt. "Thanks for dinner, Daniel."

They watched him depart from the kitchen and Daniel fired a look of concern at Teal'c.

Leaning forward, as soon as she was sure Jack was gone Cassie asked in a loud whisper, "Okay, what the hell is going on? What was THAT" - Cassie indicated Sam and Jack's exit path - "all about?"

The teen was looking at Daniel for answers, but it was Teal'c who spoke up.

"O'Neill has once again risked his life for this world at great cost to him and Major Carter."

"He's okay isn't he?" Cassie asked hopefully. "I mean, he seems like he's survived it just fine."

"Appearances are deceiving, Cassandra Fraiser. Even now the knowledge of the Ancients unweaves inside O'Neill's mind. He does not have long until he once again loses himself to the Ancients' power." Teal'c bowed his head, looking forlornly at the two abandoned chairs at the table.

"You mean he stuck his head into a repository again?" Jonas joined in. "P3X-439?" he surmised. He'd read Ferretti's report that morning.

"Indeed," Teal'c replied.

"Are we losing that badly?" Cassie looked at them with fear in her eyes.

"It's not looking good," Daniel answered honestly. "Everyday another minor System Lord falls into Anubis's domain. He's rapidly assimilating worlds, and it's not long until we're next. Our only hope now is that Jack finds the Lost City and some weapon to defend this world."

Silence fell as they digested the reality of their predicament. Once again, the fate of the world rested on the SGC. It depended on Jack's mind. As the knowledge unspooled it would hasten Jack's deterioration.

* * *

"Why does it always have to be you?" More tears escaped from the corners of her eyes, saturating Jack's white t-shirt sleeve. He was spooned behind her, his right arm being used as her pillow.

"I'm just lucky like that, I guess."

Sam sniffed and Jack tightened his hold on her. He had no idea what to say. He'd had no choice in the matter. Daniel was so sure this was the only way to fight Anubis, and Jack wasn't one to back away from a fight.

"Someone had to stick their head into that thing and it couldn't be you or Spacemonkey. You're both too valuable to the fight, heck, to the entire world. You're a national treasure, Carter. It couldn't have gone down any other way."

"I'm not interested in being a national treasure, Jack. I only want to be yours." He felt her sob, her body wracked with tears.

"Baby..." he pulled her closer against him. "You are mine and I'm yours. That hasn't changed. Nothing's ever going to change that."

"I'm terrified of losing you," she told him honestly. "I just got you back and now you're being taken away from me again. I can't -" she stopped, unable to continue.

"Shhh, it's okay, it's okay," he repeated to her, comforting. "Don't give up on me yet. I have a very good reason to live. I promised myself that I was going to make this amazingly beautiful, extraordinary, sexy, genius blonde my wife in a disgustingly clichéd wedding, complete with a giant cake and chocolate fountain. We're going to have a whole hockey team of kids and have uncle Danny live over the garage so he could help with bedtime stories. Grandpa Jake and Selmak are going to spoil them rotten. Teal'c will get them to behave with just a raise of his eyebrow. Even uncle Jonas will stop by now and then to teach them about the weather and the hundreds of different things he's a genius in.

"Finally, you and me are going to live our version of happily ever after. With no Goa'ulds constantly knocking on the iris. No overdressed villains hovering over Earth threatening to enslave us. Just our family, living out the typical American dream, surrounded by our alien family."

"Typical American family, huh?" She laughed at the absurd picture he'd painted with his words, desperately wanting to live out that dream. "You promise?"

"I can't promise about the number of kids," he joked. "But, yeah, I promise about the rest of it. I know I never said anything before, and you wanted to know where this was going, so now you know. I want forever with you."

She turned in his embrace so that they were now face to face. She grabbed the back of his head to bring his mouth to hers. After thoroughly kissing him, she pulled back and looked him in the eyes. "That's exactly what I want too."

He gently caressed her face, trying to imprint the feel of her so that not even the Ancient download could overwrite the impression of her in his mind. "When this is all over, when death isn't hovering over us, I'm going to ask you properly. I'm gonna get it right this time, Sam. You're going to have everything you deserve."

She put a finger on his lips. "And I've told you already, you're all I want. You're what I deserve and I'll take you whatever way I can have you."

He pulled her finger away. "You have me." He smirked at her incredulous look. "Right. Maybe not quite in the physical sense yet, but in every other way."

She snuggled deeper into his arms. "What's really stopping us from just taking that last step, Jack? I know at the beginning it's because we didn't want to break the rules. I think though, that we've been in denial. Daniel was right when he said that the spirit of the rules have been broken. We - as in all of us, you, me, Daniel, Teal'c, we've broken the rules. We've all become so close past the point of professionalism. I just don't think that our situation falls under the normal rules written to protect us."

"What are you saying then?"

"I'm saying I want you to make love to me."

He pushed up slightly so that he was looking down on her. "There's nothing I want more."

"You won't though," she deduced from the look on his face.

"Despite all the rules I've broken in the past, this is the one thing I swore I wouldn't break. Not for my sake, but for yours. I may not have much of a career left, but you have a spotless record and I truly believe that you can make it all the way to the top. The last thing I want is for them to use our relationship as a reason not to promote you-" she tried to interrupt and this time it was him who put a finger to her lips. "Just hear me out, Carter. Our relationship might have gone past friendship, but in the end, should they ask you if you if you ever had a sexual relationship with a superior officer you can honestly say no."

"What if I said that making it to the top isn't what I want?"

"I would ask you what you did want. Not just us, but what you want out of the Air Force. Will you be satisfied topping out as a Colonel? Will you be happy staying as my second in command until I retire? You know as well as I do as it stands, there's no way we can be officially together. One of us would have to leave the team. Perhaps if Loki hadn't done what he did then retirement would be much easier to swallow. The choice would've been taken from me. Now though..."

He sighed and chose his words carefully.

"I don't know how to do anything else apart from being a soldier. It's all I know, Sam. The thought of leaving the SGC and not knowing what's going on fills with me dread. I don't know how to reconcile those feelings with what we both want. I don't want you to think that I'm choosing my career over you."

Jack examined her face for any trace of resentment or anger, but all he saw looking back was understanding. He silently breath a sigh of relief. He should've known that if anyone would understand, it would be Carter.

"I-" she hesitated. "I'd be lying if I said that my rank and my career isn't important to me. Like you it's also the only thing I've ever known. I guess that's what makes so good together; You get me. It's also what's keeping us apart."

She swallowed before continuing. "I want us, Jack. I don't think I want to be in the SGC if you're not. Unlike you though, I don't need to be in the front lines. I enjoy being a scientist and developing technology that we bring back through the gate. Being part of SG-1 is amazing, but if I had to switch to the labs it wouldn't be a tragedy either."

"So..." He looked at her, asking her to elaborate.

"I'm saying that once the threat of Anubis is gone then maybe it would be best if we spoke to General Hammond and asked what our options are," she said smiling at him.

"And in the meantime?"

"We maintain the status quo. We'll wait until this is all over. I'm even more determined now not to lose you," she told him, her eyes watering at the reminder of what was happening to him.

"You sure about this?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at her, a hint of a smile playing on his lips to belay his seriousness.

"Unlike you, Colonel, I didn't have the benefit of an Asgard equivalent of a fairy-godmother. If we're going to have that hockey team, we've got to start soon," she said wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down so that their lips were level.

"I could always ask Thor to take off a few years for you. He does kinda owe me...BIG," he spoke against her lips.

She grinned at him and touched her mouth to his. "Mmmm. A tempting proposition. If I was at all self-conscious I'd think you were interested in acquiring a younger model."

"Never gonna happen, Carter." He told her kissing her back. "It would be for purely biological reasons. Gonna make sure my baby machine will keep producing for years to come."

She burst out laughing.

"What?" He asked looking serious.

"Oh god..." she said between giggles. "It's just that if any other man had described me as such I would've punched them in the face -"

"And rip out their cojones? Threaten to arm wrestle them?"

"But coming from you..." she continued, "it's just so - so, you."

"You know I don't think any less of you as a soldier right?"

"I know," she assured him by smiling.

"'Cause I know you could still kick ass even when you're big as a house and waddling like a penguin," he added matter-of-factly.

"Lovely," she muttered dryly.

"And you're still the best shot I know, so I'll make sure to keep all projectile weapons, sharp objects, Daniel... away from you during those innumerable hours you're in labor."

"Jack?"

"Carter?"

"Shut up," she ordered, quieting him with a deep and prolonged kiss.

* * *

Jack was in the process of lighting up the barbecue when Hammond showed up and delivered the startling news that he was being relieved of command, and that the SGC was effectively being shut down pending a three month review. He was expected to report in Washington Monday morning for his re-assignment.

It was a blow for the whole of the SGC, and for SG-1 in particular. They had no idea how receptive the new administration would be as they pleaded their case. They all knew that this was Kinsey's doing and if he had his way then no-one was going through the gate regardless of Jack's worsening condition.

"Watch your back, Colonel." Hammond warned him after pulling him inside the house where they couldn't be overheard. "According to Mister Woolsey, the Vice President is more determined than ever to take control of the program. He'll be using anything he could get at to discredit you and SG-1. Don't give him any more leverage to do so."

"You trust that weasel Woolsey? He's NID and they're not exactly known for being..." he searched for an appropriate word, "... honest."

"He's given me reason to believe that he is in earnest and truly wants to root out the rogue elements within that organization." The General put down his bottle and looked at Jack uncomfortably. "He's also apprised me of an incident he bore witness to at the SGC. Suffice to say, his discretion in the matter has gone far to convince me that he is not in league with Kinsey."

Jack stared stoically at his commanding officer, not liking what he was hearing. "What sort of incident, sir?"

Hammond gave him a knowing look. "One that if it ever gets out would trigger an immediate inquiry for conduct unbecoming of an officer and inevitably lead to court-martial proceedings."

Jack looked away in guilt, unable to meet the gaze of the man he respected the most.

"Sir -"

"Like I said, Jack. Just be careful," Hammond said, his voice holding no trace of anger or disappointment. "I don't know how much help I'll be in the future. Just... watch out for them, son."

Jack nodded, taking the older man's words to heart. "I won't let you down, sir."

"You never have, Colonel."

Hammond squeezed his shoulder in affection, making Jack feel even sadder at the thought of the General leaving.

Jack followed Hammond back out to the deck where Sam had set up a table filled with salads and other various trimmings for the grilled meats. Daniel had been left in charge of the grill and was making good progress in not turning everything into ash.

"Regardless of the circumstances, sir, we're all glad you're here for this." Jack told Hammond, handing him a fresh bottle of Guinness.

"It's just a shame not all of us could be here," Hammond replied, his thoughts on Janet Fraiser and his old friend Jacob. Both of them were currently fighting. One for her life, the other for the eventual fate of the universe. It felt like a never ending battle, one that made him feel exhausted and wanting to hand over the mantle of responsibility.

He glanced at the now much younger Colonel whom he trusted more than anyone. He'd always hoped that Jack would take over his role at the SGC, confident that he would make a fine leader for the base and a refreshing change to the ranks of current generals. While he'd given the wayward Colonel more leeway, he'd also been tough on him when he strayed too far out of bounds. Jack was ready to take command and it was a shame that the current administration was not going to give him a chance to do so.

Once the meat was done, they congregated at the table and served up the feast SG-1 had cooked up. Jonas, Cassie and Teal'c arrived from the Academy hospital a few minutes later, completing the group.

Hammond looked around the table at his people; Seeing the easy camaraderie between these tragic individuals gave him hope. If these people could move on from their experiences and still be able to look beyond themselves, then unselfishly give up what was left of their lives for the good of the planet, then the least he could do was to give them the chance to do so.

* * *

The first clue that something slightly off was happening to Jack O'Neill, different from what happened when he first took an Ancient download, was when Jonas had to dodge a flying empty mug of coffee aimed at Daniel.

The fact that he missed his intended target wasn't the astounding thing. It was the fact that the dirty mug sat a full foot away from Jack, and belonged to Sam who had just finished it. One minute Daniel had been harassing Jack about finishing his crossword puzzle, the next he had a cup spontaneously zip towards his head. Only a dropped pencil he'd stopped from rolling under the bookshelves saved him from a concussion.

"Ah - Jack..." Daniel stood unmoving where he'd just stood up from the floor and stared at his best friend in mild shock.

"It wasn't me. I swear!" Jack said, his hands up and eyes wide with fear and bewilderment. "Carter must've thrown it."

"No I didn't!" Sam said defensively. "Why would I throw a cup at Daniel?"

Jack gave a minute shrug. "I don't know. Maybe you got tired of his incessant questions... I know I am," he said pointedly at Daniel.

"Um, Sam didn't throw the cup," Jonas interrupted. "It flew," he said looking towards Jack.

"IT FLEW," Jack said with air quotes. "Oh fer crying... that's derentis!"

"Nevertheless, Jack, that's what it did," Daniel replied back, having no doubts that what Jonas has seen was true. It wasn't the first time SG-1 had encountered instances of telekinesis. "We've seen this before. First with Cassie, then on P3X-367 with Nirti's DNA sequencer."

"That was Nirti trying to create a Hok'Taur. What's happening to the Colonel is something completely different," Sam argued.

"Is it?" Daniel retorted back. "The DNA resequencer was created by the Ancients. For all we know it shares the same type of technology as the repository."

"That may be, but we didn't see this last time. He was so far gone, he'd completely lost the ability to speak, but he never displayed any telekinetic abilities," Sam reminded Daniel.

Daniel shrugged his shoulders. "Then explain to me how he was able to hurl a cup of coffee at my head."

"It was empty," Jack pointed out, waving a finger at Daniel.

"Perhaps that particular repository wasn't as advanced as the one in the colonnade. We make upgrades to our tech all the time, there's no reason to think the Ancients wouldn't do the same," Jonas suggested.

"Then it could've altered Jack's DNA, enhanced it somehow. As to what purpose..." he trailed off looking back and forth between Sam and Jonas.

"Daniel?"

"Yes, Jack?"

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's rude to talk about someone when they're right there, in the same room?" Jack asked him in an annoyed tone, his voice rising at the end.

Daniel ignored him and grabbed the crossword Jack had been working on for the past few hours. "What's this?" He squinted at the coffee stained piece of paper.

Jack tried to grab it back, but Daniel turned away to dodge him.

"Thirteen across you wrote 'Taonas'."

Jack sighed, giving up getting back his puzzle. "Yeah, so. What's that mean?"

"Uh..." Daniel looked to Jonas who shook his head. "Don't know. You tell me. Eight down you wrote 'Praclarush'."

Sam came to stand behind Jack. "What's eight down?"

"Label. With those empty spaces I think the answer is supposed to be identification. Thirteen across is sphere. Jack, this it."

Jack grimaced. "Now, see I assume we still speak the same language... mostly." Sam her hand on his shoulder in a calming gesture and he found himself leaning back on her.

"Sphere... planet. Label... name."

"Following... still... you... not!" He felt Sam's hand squeeze his shoulder harder and he loosened up the tension developing in those muscles. Daniel was spectacular at stressing him out.

"Praclarush Taonas. I... I think you wrote the name of the planet where we will find the Lost City in the crossword."

Jack paused and looked skeptically at Daniel. "Bit of a jump."

"Why else would you do that?"

Sam snorted and blushed as she read what he'd written on the crossword. "The clue for seven down is 'celestial body'."

"What'd he write?" Jonas asked curiously, craning his neck to look at the piece of paper that Sam now held.

She passed the piece of paper to Daniel.

Daniel raised his eyebrows and cleared his throat in embarrassment after reading Jack's answer. "Yes... 'Cause that won't get us in any trouble will it, Jack?"

Jack shrugged and cast Sam an admiring look. "Just sayin'."

Daniel sighed in exasperation and balled up the crossword. "It has to mean something..."

"Hey! I was still working on that." Jack made to grab the now scrunched up piece of paper, but Daniel pocketed it.

"Just be glad I didn't ask Sam to make you eat it."

Jack let out a puff of air and pushed off from the counter in front of him. "I'm hungry!"

Jonas smiled then shrugged as if saying, 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em', and followed the Colonel to the commissary.

* * *

"Praclarush Taonas. According to this it means "lost in fire". It was lost. This has to be the planet where the Lost City is."

Jack and Jonas were finishing off the last of their banana cream pies as Daniel droned on about the possible location of the Lost City. Jonas was nodding in agreement, eager to finally find the elusive city for which he and Daniel had been searching for almost a year.

"It's gotta be it," Jonas confirmed.

Sam dampened their enthusiasm with practicalities. "Well, even if it is, knowing the name of the planet doesn't really help, unless we have a Gate address to get us there."

She took the fork from Jack that he was using to scrape off his dessert plate and licked off the last morsels from the tines. Jack glared at her as she gave him a challenging look.

Daniel closed his eyes in frustration and looked around the room surreptitiously if anyone had seen the intimate display.

"We really need to focus on this, guys -"

Jack suddenly tore off the badge with Earth's symbol from Daniel's uniformed left arm and placed it on the table in front of Daniel. They all looked at him curiously. Jonas's chewing slowed and his fork hovered in midair. Sam opened her mouth to say something, but Daniel beat her to it.

"Jack, what are you doing?"

"At."

"What?" Sam asked confused.

"At!" Jack repeated.

"This?" Daniel picked up the badge and placed it closer to Jack.

"That!" Jack confirmed.

"That is At?" Daniel asked him to confirm.

"You can stop... That. I can tell you that that means 'At'."

"Oh my god..." Daniel muttered. "Jack are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Jack leaned back in his seat. "Probably not."

Daniel picked up his notebook and opened up an empty page. He started to draw the symbol for Orion. "What's this?"

"Sh," Jack replied. "That's the sound it makes. 'Sh'."

"Yes! That's it, Jack. Pra-Cla-Ru-Sh-Tao-Nas. Six syllables-"

"It's the gate address," Jack concluded stoically. "Give me your pen, Daniel. I have an address for you." He accepted the Sharpie Daniel quickly surrendered to him and begun writing the symbols they would need to dial the planet.

Sam looked at him with naked concern, her fear for Jack becoming apparent as she watched him jot down the address with ease as if it were the Latin alphabet.

"Get this to Weir," Jack ordered Daniel. "I need to start gathering supplies. Jonas... you're with me."

* * *

Jonas furiously took down inventory of the various tools and parts the Colonel was gathering on a pallet in the center of Siler's equipment storage room. In doing so, he hoped to figure out what O'Neill had in mind and an idea of the sort of environment to expect when SG-1 got to their destination.

Colonel O'Neill had made it clear that he was to sit out this mission and make sure to assist Dr Weir to ensure that their mission succeeded. The Colonel also asked him to watch over Cassie and Janet if they weren't able to return. He'd been unable to refuse the request, knowing how important the young woman was to the Colonel. He knew what he was being asked was quite the responsibility and a huge show of trust by the man who initially didn't even want him on his team, much less in the lives of those he cared about.

"Stop writing things and get me a Naquadah generator, Jonas," O'Neill yelled from across the room. Jonas frowned in consternation as he watched him easily lift a metal crate that usually took two men to carry.

"Jonas!"

"On it!" He stuffed his leather bound notebook partially down the back of his pants and went to look for the generator.

Doctor Weir along with Daniel and Sam finally showed up to check on their progress. He heard Sam trying to explain what was happening to their befuddled new commander, and the Colonel telling them that he didn't have a clue.

Jonas didn't quite believe him. O'Neill more than once looked like he knew exactly what he was doing. Why he was denying it was the real question. It was now becoming quite apparent to him that the Colonel's signs and symptoms were not following the previous course of the last download. This event was different, and he knew he had to figure it out for the Colonel if the man was to survive this download.

He brought back the generator and placed it atop other equipment on the pallet. He saw Daniel grinning in satisfaction as he watched the Colonel walk around the room gathering more things.

Jonas internally shook his head. Sometimes it sucked to know too much. He doubted Daniel even contemplated that O'Neill might not come out of the download unscathed. He was too busy trying to find a solution to the current problem facing their planet. His main focus was to find the Lost City and find technology to defeat Anubis. It was probably the Colonel's main concern too. Knowing O'Neill, he'd barely paused to think about his own predicament, far more preoccupied with others, like Cassie and Janet, his team and the rest of the world. It was something he admired about the Colonel and something he'd been trying to imitate since he'd met the man.

He moved out of the way as the Colonel came back to the pallet pulling a manual pump truck. Siler trailed after him, looking panicked at the invasion of his department.

"Where do you want all this stuff, Colonel?" Siler inquired.

"Just move it to a free corner, Sly. There's more stuff we gotta pack," Jack said. He looked at Siler apologetically. "Sorry. I know this is making you fronic."

Daniel, Jonas, and Sam shared a look.

"It's fine, sir," Siler said without pause.

Jack grabbed him by the shoulders. "If I don't make it, you get my Simpsons VHS collection."

"That's kind of you, Colonel," Siler replied without emotion. Jack let go of him and the Master Sergeant grabbed the pump truck and took the pallet away.

* * *

Things moved quickly and soon they were on a borrowed Tel'tak on their way to the coordinates of Praclarush Taonas. As Jack's condition advanced and his speech turned more Ancient, Daniel worried more and more.

Travelling in space with not much to do meant a whole lot of time to think and reflect on the situation they were in. Suddenly, he wasn't as confident as he'd been when Jack first took the download. With Jack's increasing demonstration of alien abilities, fear started to creep at the back of Daniel's mind. He tried to push it back with optimism and belief in Jack O'Neill's exceptional ability to survive almost anything.

Looking at his friend, sitting against the bulkhead surrounded by technical equipment they had acquired from the SGC, it occurred to him that Jack had even cheated time. He looked far too young to be a Colonel with years of experience under his belt. It was another weapon Jack would store in his personal arsenal. Most already underestimated his intelligence, now they would also doubt his experience at their own peril.

"Stop it."

The out of nowhere remark had him raising his eyebrows. "What?"

Jack looked at him from under his lashes. "Stop... that. I can hear you worrying from over here. I'll tell you what I told Carter: it couldn't have gone down any other way. So, stop..." he motioned at Daniel's concerned demeanour that he was so good at projecting, "...that."

"Is telepathy one of the symptoms of the download?" Daniel frowned, half-serious.

"I read you loud and clear Daniel. No telepathy required," Jack replied dryly.

Daniel sighed, debating whether to say anything. "I would've done it you know?" In the end he couldn't help himself.

Jack just stared at him for a moment before nodding. "I know."

Ever the eternal optimist, Daniel went on hopefully, "I mean there must be a way to reverse the effects, once we have what we need. We'll find a way."

What Jack didn't tell Daniel was that he was already feeling distant, not fully in control of his own faculties, and distinctly different from his previous experience with the download. He was vying for control of his own body, his own thoughts, yet the flow of knowledge was too strong and Jack O'Neill was being swept away slowly but surely into the deep, he feared, never to be seen again.

Sam came in and told them that they were coaxing everything out of the engines, but they were still a couple of days away.

"We need to go faster," Jack declared, leaving Sam and Daniel somewhat flustered, as Sam followed him to the engine room.

* * *

Sam found him futzing around with the control crystals and she has to stop herself from objecting, to ask if he knew what he was doing. He looked confident swapping things around, and the ship kept going.

"Give me your zat," he asked her in a low voice, as if speaking was becoming more difficult. Speaking a language she understood, that was. His monosyllabic answers the past few hours concerned her.

Jack fired a burst of energy at the array of crystals and the hyperdrive suddenly hummed to life, as if it had been dozing that whole time in sub-light speeds.

"There you go," he told her, handing the zat back. The opened panel was between them and she hated the gulf forming between them. Out in the field they had to maintain some semblance of propriety even if her heart felt like it was slowly being crushed each time he spoke in Ancient.

Jack pushed the panel back into the bulkhead so that he was standing toe to toe with her. "Ego tua deserde," he whispered and her heart shattered a little bit more. Tears gathered in the back of her throat, and she couldn't respond. "I'm still here, Carter," Jack assured her.

"You-" she swallowed. "You spoke in Ancient."

He reached out to cup her face. "But I'm still all here," he tapped his temple. "I'm holding on for you. Don't give up on me yet."

She allowed the tears to flow and let herself be surrounded by his arms. He pulled away much too quickly, aware that they were crossing a line in the field that was not a good idea to cross regardless of the circumstances.

"Why don't you go check up front? Reassure Bra'tac that we haven't damaged his buddy Ronan's ship," Jack gently suggested. She knew it was his way of diverting her attention so she had no time to dwell.

She smiled. "Yes, sir."

Jack's zat modification seemed to have done the trick; soon enough they were orbiting and scanning the red planet that didn't resemble anything that could support life.

Sam was standing behind the pilot's seat where Bra'tac was sitting, Daniel beside her. Jack was holding back, just at the entrance of the cockpit behind Teal'c.

They stared at the volcanic fluid encompassing the planet.

"This doesn't look good, the surface is almost completely covered in lava flows."

"How could there have ever been a civilization down there?" Daniel pondered out loud.

Much to everyone's surprise it was Jack who supplied the answer. "It's a red giant, a star at the end of its life. A million years ago this planet was capable of supporting life."

They all stared at him in astonishment, apart from Ronan who was busy piloting the ship.

"Um- So... We're a million years late?" Daniel stuttered out.

"Oh, just a tad," Jack replied with his usual dry humor.

"That's very late," Daniel muttered. He and Sam looked to Jack, expecting him to say something more.

"I have scanned the entire surface," Bra'tac broke into their conversation.

Jack walked over to Bra'tac and touched the Jaffa's shoulder, silently asking to take over the controls. He brought up a holographic image of the planet's terrain and deftly located what looked like a perfectly round blister on the surface. He marked the spot and said, "Taonas."

"Sir?" Sam asks. She frowned at the image. "There's a small anomaly on the surface here. Like a bubble."

"Is it a cavern?" Bra'tac inquired.

"It looks like a perfectly formed half sphere of molten rock," Sam replied.

"Perhaps a force field meant to protect a city was covered over," Ronan suggested.

"Too small to have a city in there. And we aren't getting any energy readings from it," Sam disagreed.

"Perhaps the shield has since failed," Teal'c also proposed.

Jack stood away from the controls. "Get your hazmat suits on. We're going down there," he told his team.

* * *

SG-1 ringed down to the dome, breaking through a thin layer of crust that had formed over the structure. Once communication was established with the ship, Bra'tac informed them

that he was moving the ship to a higher altitude and would await their signal.

Sam commented that the radiation was pretty high and Teal'c confirmed that the structure was most likely protected by a shield as Ronan had speculated.

"It's possible the rings compromised the dome's integrity; we shouldn't stay too long," she advised as they moved deeper into the structure. The beams from their weapon-mounted flashlights were muted and lent a red glow to their surroundings. Jack was conspicuously without a weapon, a further indication that his condition had advanced. The Colonel wasn't the type to go around unarmed.

Dust particles swam through the air; their entrance through the ceiling had kicked up a lot of debris and their suits were covered in a thin layer of red dust. While Daniel made acerbic comments about the architecture, Jack separated from the group and approached a raised platform where an alien-looking throne was located.

"This facility does not appear operational," Teal'c stated as he aimed his torch to illuminate the dark walls.

"Sir, be careful." Sam warned out loud when she saw that Jack had approached the raised seat. He ignored her warning and sat down, activating the throne, an electronic hum pierced the silence and the seat glowed blue with light along with the raised parts of the floor.

"Jack, you sure you know what you're doing?" Daniel asked nervously. It didn't escape his notice that his friend had not spoken since they'd ringed down.

Jack didn't respond. He manipulated the gel-like armrest with his left hand, activating some sort of forcefield. He took off his helmet, and the others followed suit after Sam confirmed that the atmosphere was breathable.

They watched as the Ancient seat swiveled back, reclining Jack so that he could better see the holo image that had appeared overhead.

"It's a map of the galaxy," Sam supplied, all of them looking up at the projection.

"Planets the Ancients colonized in this galaxy," Jack told them with difficulty. They all looked to him, surprised that he'd spoken at all. His short brown hair was spiked with sweat, it was taking a lot of physical effort to keep the Ancient knowledge from completely taking over. He was expending a lot of energy trying to keep it at bay.

Daniel pointed to one of the lighted dots. "This is where we are. Praclarush."

A familiar solar system appeared overhead, one they all recognized. The display zoomed in on the third planet from the sun. "Earth?" Sam asked. It sort of looked like Earth, but the continents looked different.

"That does not appear to be Earth," Teal'c refuted.

"That's because it doesn't take into consideration thirty million years of continental drift," Daniel realized. He continued to stare at the rotating globe, clearly in awe at seeing drift theory confirmed.

"Sir, why are you showing us this?" Sam was reluctant to approach the alien chair, half-afraid of what it could do.

They watched as Jack concentrated, visibly struggling to answer Sam's question. "Jack?" Daniel prompted. He suddenly relaxed, allowing the words to come out. "Terra... Atlantus."

"Terra is Earth. Atlantis." Daniel interpreted.

Sam stepped closer to the platform to get a better look at the map. "The Lost City of Atlantis?"

Daniel pointed to the moving continents being displayed above them. "Are you saying the Lost City of the Ancients is here?"

The image panned to the southern pole. "Antarctica," Sam said aloud.

"Under... Subo glacius." Jack tried unsuccessfully to say the words in English. The more he used the Ancient technology, the more he lost the ability to speak his own language.

"Under the ice? The city we've been looking for is under the ice of Antarctica?" Daniel asked, excitement tinging his voice. This was it. This was what they were looking for.

"It's been on Earth the whole time?" Jack met Sam's incredulous gaze. He wished he could explain to her that this wasn't a waste of time. They had to come here.

"Jack, we were just there!" Daniel was understandably frustrated. Earth was on the verge of invasion.

Sam must have understood something in his expression, because she reserved judgement and said, "There's a reason though, why we're here. Right, sir?"

Jack activated the chair again. It swivelled back to the original position. He quickly donned his helmet, his team following his example. He then walked over to the edge of the platform and waved his hand over a section of the floor. A panel rose up from the floor, and Jack pulled out a glowing crystal without effort. "T?" Teal'c accepted the heavy and still glowing object, placing it in a samples bag he carried.

Sam touched his arm with her gloved hand to get his attention. "Power source?" He nodded at her, hating the look of distress he saw on her face when he didn't attempt to speak.

Dust and rock from the ceiling started raining down, sounds of cracking filling the now shieldless cavern. They moved quickly back to where they had ringed down, Sam on the radio to Bra'tac requesting to be picked up.

Once on the ship, they told Bra'tac the location of the Lost City. Ronan gave them a curious look then retreated to the pilot's seat.

"I will assist Ronan," Bra'tac informed them as they stripped off their hazmat suits by the ring platform. Teal'c had wandered to the back of the vessel to secure the power source Jack given him.

"I will enter the co-ordinates," they heard Bra'tac tell Ronan.

"It is not necessary, Master. I shall do so myself."

Jack abandoned his hazmat suit and approached the cockpit slowly.

"How do you know... Coordinates?" Jack managed to say. Ronan gave him a blank look before going for his knife and lunging for him.

Ronan was too slow though. Jack's reflexes had kicked in a half second before the Jaffa moved and he dodged the weapon aimed at his gut. He used Ronan's own momentum to throw him across the room where he stumbled forward, bouncing off the crates against the wall still clutching his knife.

Bra'tac rushed him, but the traitorous Jaffa rolled and got back on his feet, plunging the knife into the Master's symbiote pouch. "Shol'va!" Ronan gritted out, quickly pulling the knife out. He then spun back to Jack with a slashing motion, but the Colonel was prepared for the move. Jack sidestepped and blocked the arm holding the knife with his own, grabbing Ronan's wrist and twisting the knife away from his hand, disarming him. The knife clattered on the floor and when Ronan made a grab for it, it skittered away of its own accord out of his reach. With an angry snarl he lunged at Jack, who grabbed around his head and summarily broke his neck. He collapsed on the floor by Jack's feet.

Jack stepped over the dead body and approached Bra'tac who lay bleeding on the cockpit floor. Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c rushed into the room, their zats out. The rapid close quarter struggle had only lasted for half a minute. Their proximity to the pilot controls had stopped Sam from shooting her zat, mindful of damaging their only way home; instead she'd sent Daniel to get Teal'c.

Bra'tac was fighting for breath, his wound seeping blood with each inspiration. Teal'c knelt down and cradled his wounded Master's head with his hand. "I am betrayed," the older man whispered.

Teal'c regarded him with sadness and concern. "Save your strength, old friend."

Bra'tac gave him an indulgent smile. "You know that I am stubborn Teal'c, but this battle I fear I cannot win."

Jack dropped down to his knees and and put his left hand on the wound. He stared at Bra'tac intently, a look of concentration on his face. He closed his eyes, focusing his mind on transferring his own life force to the wounded Jaffa. He heard Bra'tac gasp in relief as if he were a deflating balloon suddenly filled with air.

"The pain is fading," the Jaffa Master said in awe.

The world seemed to keel over until he felt gentle hands guiding him back up. He opened his eyes and saw that Daniel was holding him up. All eyes were on him and he looked at the floor unable to meet their astonished gazes. "Once more I am in your debt." He dared to look at Bra'tac's grateful expression and simply nodded to acknowledge the old man's gratitude.

"But how?" Sam asked, her mind racing at the implications.

Sounding shaken with tears in his eyes, Teal'c answered her. "O'Neill possesses the healing power of the Ancients."

Jack pulled away from Daniel. He could feel his body regenerating the energy it had used in healing Bra'tac. How he was able to do that, he didn't examine too deeply. Somehow he felt energized again. It didn't feel like the last download, when his body began to fail unable to cope with the unspooling happening in his mind.

He made his way to the cockpit and sat on the pilot's chair, ignoring the dead Jaffa underfoot. He set a course for Earth hoping that there was still something of their planet to salvage once they got there.

* * *

Once the ship was back in hyperspace, Jack cracked open the boxes of equipment he'd packed and began to unload the kit by the ring platform. Sam would be in awe of what he was about to create, but it took time and concentration he didn't have to explain and she'd left him to it.

The fact that he was able to understand and even want to explain was what frightened him. This was so not what had happened last time. He'd been like a man possessed, like a Goa'uld host unable to affect his movements, but also unable to access the mind of the being controlling him. From his experience with Kanan he at least knew the damned snake's intentions. While he'd lost control of his body, his mind was still there able to watch everything going on. With the download, he'd zone out for much of it, only half-conscious of what he was doing.

This time around, he understood EVERYTHING. The ability came to him and he just KNEW. It was like his mind was watching a "how to" video and his hands following the instructions as he absorbed the knowledge.

He'd also discovered that if he really, really concentrated, he was able to retain his ability to speak English. Ancient came out naturally, but trying to explain anything technical to Daniel in a language the linguist wasn't fluent in proved difficult.

Teal'c came and asked him what he was building. His friend looked so downcast that he stopped his soldering and focused on explaining. "Modifying... Matter stream."

"For what purpose, O'Neill?"

"Make large hole in ice."

The Jaffa smiled and canted his head in acknowledgment. "I shall explain to Major Carter and Daniel Jackson."

"Tua gratus," he replied grinning.

They approached Earth's solar system and instantly detected the armada of Goa'uld ships hovering over the planet. Jack hovered over Teal'c's shoulder considering the problem. He'd finished his modifications of the rings and left Daniel and Sam to clear the ring platform.

"We will need to exit hyperspace as close to Earth's atmosphere as possible in order to appear on the other side of Anubis's ships."

"Indeed," Teal'c acknowledged. "There will not be much time to decelerate."

Jack tapped Teal'c on the shoulder and motioned for him to vacate the pilot's seat. The Jaffa hesitated for a moment before nodding and slipping out of the chair. Jack took over the controls and rapidly entered coordinates into the Tel'tak's navigational computer.

The moment the ship exited the hyperspace window, Jack reversed the Tel'tak's equivalent to thrusters to slow its descent as it entered the atmosphere. The ship shuddered and groaned from the stresses on the bulkheads as the dynamic pressure from the air heated the front of the spacecraft. It showed no signs of slowing down as the southern continent's mountains became visible and rapidly became bigger and bigger.

Neither Jaffa spoke or showed fear as Jack narrowly missed a snow-covered mountain as he stabilized the ship so that it shot just above the icy peaks. He guided the Tel'tak to the location he'd entered into the ship's computer and hovered over an open expanse of ice. He activated the boring beam and the ring platform beneath the ship opened up and a column of light shot down to the snow covered ground, drilling through hundreds of feet of ice in seconds.

"Sir, how long is this going to take?" Sam asked, very aware from the sight of the armada that they didn't have much time.

Steam rose from the deepening hole; satisfied that the beam was doing its job, Jack moved past Daniel and Sam who had joined them on the bridge, heading to the cargo area. He grabbed his olive drab uniform jacket and vest, then cleared the rest of the debris that had slid back to the edge of the rings from his piloting.

He heard Sam shout out that they were about to get their asses kicked, but she was cut off mid-sentence. A minute later, the rest of SG-1 showed up and started to don their own jackets and tactical vests. "Colonel, how are gonna get down there?"

Jack raised his eyebrows at her, surprised she hadn't caught on. "The rings," Teal'c replied as he observed the abandoned equipment littering the floor.

"Makes sense. The Ancients built the Stargate so there must be a set of rings to get us down there somewhere," Daniel reasoned.

"The transmission beams just couldn't penetrate a mile of ice," Sam concluded.

Jack passed her a P-90 perched on top of a cargo container, holding her gaze to reassure her that he was still there. She tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace. He gave a slight nod and stepped in the middle of the ring platform, his back to her. SG-1 joined him, all four of them facing outwards. Bra'tac activated the transport rings and beamed SG-1 to the bottom of the borehole.

Only faint beams of light reached down the deep shaft, turning the glistening walls blue. The entrance to the cavern was pitch black. Sam and Daniel used the light on their P90s to illuminate their path, casting yellow beams on the icy walls. It was clear that they'd entered another Ancient structure. The beams were made of the same alloy that they'd seen in Taonas.

Jack led them to a dark wall in the middle of the structure. "Dormata," he simply stated. They lingered behind him, waiting for his next move. He canted his head to the side and moved deeper into the darkness. There, barely visible, was a cloaked figure standing in front of the platform with the Ancient chair.

"You are too late. The power of the Ancients is mine."

Sam and Daniel pointed their light and weapons at the dark being to cover Jack who, without hesitation, stepped up to Anubis and walked right through him. The projection

flickered then vanished as he continued onto the raised platform.

"It's a hologram," Daniel said lowering his weapon. Sam followed his example and approached Jack as he waved his left hand over the corner of the elevated floor. An inactive lump of crystal rose up, and he proceeded to remove it with a slight pull, placing on the floor. Sam was already waiting with the powered module to replace the dead one.

They both raised their heads at the sound of the rings activating. Sam left his side to take cover along with the rest of SG-1. A couple of Anubis's drones materialized. SG-1 began shooting the moment the rings disappeared, Sam and Daniel using their modified energy weapons, while Teal'c provided covering fire with his P90.

Jack ignored the cacophony of weapons fire, focusing instead on inserting the crystal module into the floor, and powering up the Ancients' weapons platform. He knew now what he had to do, and the quicker he did it the fewer human lives would be lost.

Once seated on the Ancient chair, he accessed the chair controls, the seat reclined back and swivelled to the side facing away from the fire fight. Stray weapons fire from Anubis's drones hit the wall close to his feet, but he disregarded it, knowing that his team had his back. What seemed like flood lights suddenly came on, illuminating the area of the platform. The floor in front of the single surviving drone rumbled and cracked as light shone through the widening gap until the floor gave way completely.

SG-1 ceased fire as even the drone stood there no longer firing. A loud humming, then dozens of lit yellow flying things flew out of the hole and surrounded the single drone. They watched as the now helpless super soldier tried to swat away the large swarming objects enveloping him. As more of the things emerged the soldier simply disappeared and the swarm continued out to the open shaft leading to the surface.

Jack instructed the Ancient weapons to only target enemy vessels, the system reading his thoughts and implementing his orders. He saw in his mind the armada going up in a ball of fire, the Prometheus barely avoiding collision with the far larger Goa'uld vessel that had just exploded. The rest of the missiles took out the stray Al'keshes and death gliders facing off with F-302s.

Enemies destroyed, Jack pulled his mind back from the system and powered down the weapons system. He knew the power module didn't have unlimited power as its technology implied. While it used zero point energy, which in theory could not be depleted, the module had imperfections. Its design was not without flaws, and therefore its power was finite.

"Jack!" Sam rushed over to him, casting off all illusion of professionalism. It was only them and she was tired of hiding her concern for him. She took his face and held it between her hands, asking him to look at her. "Fine..." he managed to say despite the exhaustion he felt.

She grinned at him, bright blue eyes shining with happiness. "We won, Jack, you did it. We'll get this thing out of you and everything will be fine-"

He shook his head. "Dormata," he told her.

"What?" The smile vanished and a look of confusion replaced it. "You mean that thing?"

"Deserde... Help. Asgard," he tried to explain to her. He couldn't let the transformation continue. That path lead to something he wasn't prepared for yet. Not for a very long time, if ever. Especially not without Sam.

"What does it do?" She asked referring to the 'Dormata'.

"Sleep. Until help."

She took in what he was saying realizing that whatever help he needed was not here. She fought the tears trying to break out, needing to be strong for him and her team. His deterioration put her in charge and she would not let him or General Hammond down by appearing anything less than professional. "I don't know what to do, sir. I thought we'd find what we needed here."

"Nu invenimus."

"We found it," Daniel translated. He and Teal'c had stepped back to give them some privacy, but their voices carried in the ice cavern and Daniel stepped in, wanting to help Jack in his own way.

Sam shook her head in the negative. "That's not what I meant."

"Ego scius." He reached out and cradled her face.

"I know," Daniel repeated in English.

"This isn't the city is it?" She saw the minute shake of his head. "And you need the Asgard?" He nodded. "We'll contact Thor, try to get him here ASAP. Daniel-"

"Nullus temporis," Jack interrupted her. It was becoming harder and harder to even try speaking his native language. The thing in his head was unspooling faster and faster.

Daniel squeezed Sam's shoulder and kept his hand there. "No time." He looked at his best friend, the unlikeliest of people he could've ever thought of assigning that particular role, but it was true. He saw that Jack was looking at him, trying to convey his wishes without hurting Sam. Jack wasn't giving up, he was stalling until help arrived. "He needs to go into that thing, Sam. Now."

She started to shake her head. "No. I- we can't just leave him here. No."

Daniel turned her around so that she was looking at him. "We're not giving up. The Asgard won't get here in time, he needs them now. That thing -" he pointed at the Dormata. "That'll give him the time he needs. From the Latin derivation of the word, I think it's some sort of hibernation chamber. It'll slow or stop the Ancient download from progressing, but he needs to go in now."

"Comdo eetium." His eyes begged her to trust him and accept his decision.

"Please understand." Daniel interpreted.

She took a shuddering breath and stepped back from the Ancient seat, allowing Jack to stand up. He grasped her hand and pulled her to a nearby alcove away from Teal'c and Daniel's sight.

In the shadows he pulled her into his arms and held her tight, savoring the warmth and feel of her, breathing in the scent unique to Sam Carter. The smell of sweat and gunpowder registered with him and it brought comfort and familiarity in the cold alien place that surrounded them.

She pulled his face back from her neck where he'd nuzzled into her, and directed it higher so that she could capture his mouth in a hungry and desperate kiss. One hand raked through his disheveled hair, the other went under his jacket and t-shirt to touch his heated skin. She groaned into his mouth when she was pushed backwards against the wall, his arms bracketing her before he let them fall to her sides so that he could begin his own explorations.

The feel of a cool hand on her rib cage, so close to where she ached for him forced a whimper to slip from her lips and almost suddenly he was retreating, his hands sliding down and out of her shirt, leaving a blazing trail of heat on her skin.

He gave her one last kiss before pulling her forward, away from the intimate shadows of the cavern. Daniel and Teal'c were patiently waiting by the Dormata, Daniel trying hard to look nonchalant his arms akimbo, like he hadn't known EXACTLY what they had been doing. Teal'c had no such qualms and simply bowed his head with a small close lipped smile gracing his lips, hands behind his back.

Jack let go of Sam and without looking back, stepped into the man-sized recess in the wall. Daniel stepped forward, but Jack stopped him with a shake of his head. "Nullus avio."

Daniel remained where he was and gave Jack a brave grin. "No, it's not a goodbye."

"We shall contact the Asgard, O'Neill. Soon, you will be amongst friends again." Teal'c assured him, his eyes conveying his sadness.

His eyes drifted to Sam. She'd surrendered to her tears and she sobbed silently, making him want to wrap her in his arms for eternity. He knew the two men beside her would watch her six in his absence. He sincerely hoped that it wouldn't be for too long.

With a mere thought, he activated the Ancient cryogenic chamber and felt a blast of cold envelop him. His mind slowed until the sight of Sam's tear stained face blurred, faded and then darkness.

* * *

Hours and days passed like a dream for Sam Carter. General Hammond had ordered them back to the SGC for a debrief after Colonel Reynolds's team took command of the outpost. His stint at Area 51 as a scientist as well as his rank made him uniquely qualified to take over for Sam until someone higher up decided what was going to happen with the outpost.

She'd hesitated to obey orders, wanting to stay close to Jack, but Daniel and Teal'c had convinced her that she couldn't really do anything for him in a cavern in Nowhere, Antarctica and she would be better advised to contact the Asgard from the SGC. The logic of it was the only thing that allowed her to even consider stepping foot on the ship Bra'tac had been piloting. The Jaffa Master had since left via the Stargate, leaving the Ancient- modified Tel'tak at Area 51.

They'd been stuck under the mountain for two days being debriefed by Doctor Weir and General Hammond who'd returned from Washington at the request of President Hayes and The Joint Chiefs. Daniel and Teal'c had covered for her spacey behavior, doing most of the talking and explaining things that she as default team leader should be the one reporting. The odd thing was, she couldn't seem to care. General Hammond had been more than understanding and hadn't bothered asking for anything verbal from her, just a written report he'd said would suffice.

She was now finally on her way home, to her house that was. It had been three weeks since she'd been there and her foyer was probably covered in mounds of junk mail. The house was shut tight and the appliances all unplugged. She had no plants or fridge to clean out. The cupboards were empty save for the stray cans of soups she usually kept for emergencies. For all intents and purposes, no one lived there. All the important things were at Jack's house. Now her house and most times Daniel's. Even Teal'c and Jonas could claim residency with the amount of time they spent at the place.

Her old Volvo had finally given up the ghost and the much more practical SUV she'd chosen, while boring, was at least capacious enough to carry more than a suitcase in the trunk. It was time to move the last of the things that mattered to Jack's house. Her old place had ceased to be her home for weeks now and she would not be returning there in Jack's absence. She needed to feel near him and their bed was the ideal place for it.

The neighborhood looked pretty much the same and the house seemed intact as she pulled over in her driveway. The gardener was doing a good job of maintaining the small lawn and hedges so that the house didn't look abandoned.

She sighed and pulled her key out of the ignition. Coming here was tedious but necessary. Daniel would not be home until that evening and she really, really didn't want to be without company. If she allowed herself to collapse into bed like her body was begging her to, she was afraid she'd remain there for the rest of her enforced time off.

She was fiddling with the front door key when she thought she'd heard her name being called. "Sam!" This time she was sure it wasn't her sleep deprived brain playing tricks on her. She turned cautiously to the source of the voice, clutching her key so that it pointed outwards between her knuckles.

"Hey, Sam! Bet you didn't expect to see me today."

Her mouth gapped open in surprise. "Pete?"

* * *

***Evil Laugh* You guys know what to do ;-) Also from this point on, PD is going to be almost entirely non-canon. I won't be following the episodes like I've been doing for the past several chapters. As always, let me know what you guys think. **


	9. Out of Order

**To my lovely reviewers I apologize for the long gaps between posts. This is a short one, so I apologize for that too. I'm currently plotting out the rest of the story in my copious free time *ahem*.**

* * *

Change, when done gradually, often remained unnoticed until someone who hadn't been there to witness the slight alterations sees what to them is a glaring difference, and points it out.

It all began with a short e-mail of gratitude. He'd sent a perfunctory reply and thought that would be the end of it. Except it hadn't been the end. It was the beginning.

Another message, another reply. Soon enough he found himself checking his mailbox just in case and the disconcerting feeling when there was nothing there to read. It had developed such that the mundane retelling of someone's day, what they had eaten, who they spoke to, what they read or saw, had become a compelling part of his day. He imagined this was what people who came home to someone did on a daily basis.

It had been years since he'd lived with another human being. It was difficult to form relationships when your priority was work. When that work revolved around the Top Secret and involved frequent travel over many miles, it left no room for anything or anyone.

His own childhood gave him no basis for comparison. The son of two academics, his parents were far more concerned with travel, books and each other for him to really matter. Most meals were spent in silence or even alone as his mother and father ate at their desks or came home well after bedtime. It was a miracle, a friend had kindly pointed out, that he hadn't turned delinquent or to substance abuse.

No; instead, with an empty feeling in his chest and a need to belong, he'd joined the Air Force, a small rebellion in his part since his parents vehemently opposed anything military or anything to do with the 'establishment'. It was something they never really understood or forgave him for. For his part, he sent the occasional e-mail and requisite seasons greetings (his parents were Atheist and didn't believe in Christmas) and birthday cards.

For the most part, the AF filled his need to belong to something far bigger and more important than he was. He spent most of his days working, rarely taking time off to relax. He brought home work, because really, what else was there to do? No one was there to reprimand him for working too hard. There was no hot meal getting cold on the table, only a freezer filled with single frozen dinners ready to be nuked. It was a solitary existence that he hadn't exactly chosen, but was not motivated enough or had any compelling reason to change.

That was of course until the messages gave him an insight into the alternative.

Who could have known that one of his biggest screw ups would reward him with such a friendship with the most unlikely of people? If there was a greater being, a grander plan, why did this happiness have to be born from devastating tragedy?

Why create such circumstances so that painful experiences had to occur in order for him to see that there was so much more to life and what he'd been doing wasn't living? Why give him a glimpse of everything when it would inevitably come to nothing?

His old friend would have told him to 'join the queue'. These things don't come with ready answers and rarely do they reveal themselves in due time. Take life by the horns and live it, he would have said had he lived long enough to take his own advice.

But you're alive, Paul. Why not start living it? Just sign the damned thing and see where it takes you!

Before he could hesitate further, he put pen to paper and signed his transfer papers with a flourish.

General Hammond had noticed a change in him. A positive thing, the old general had said.

"Come work for me, Paul. You're a good man and I need someone I can trust."

How could he say no to that?

* * *

Looking around the art deco designs of the coffee shop in downtown Colorado Springs, it came to mind that this was definitely not Sam Carter's scene. She and the boys preferred sitting around diner booths, drinking the unlimited cups of coffee that Daniel liked to inhale and the large plates of food that were enough to satisfy even the likes of Jonas and Teal'c.

These cutesy places with dainty cakes meant to tempt a woman's partiality to pastels set her on edge. This would have appealed to her if she had been on the fence, not knowing if anyone even saw her as a woman under the olive drab. Now firmly on O'Neill territory, his farcical roundabout marriage proposal still ringing in her ears, she was confident of who she was and what she wanted.

This was not it.

With his limited exposure to anything other than American culture, according to Jack O'Neill, Jonas would have complained about the tiny espresso cup Pete had ordered.

Teal'c would've raised his eyebrows up to the clouds at the lack of free refills, and absence of slices of pie with a large serving of vanilla ice cream.

Daniel would take off his glasses, cleaning them with the edge of his t-shirt, and ask her promptly what the hell she was thinking even coming here.

She was asking herself exactly the same thing.

She supposed it was the Carter gene's inability to welch on a deal that had her agreeing to one cup of coffee. Pete had insisted that she make good on her promise to have a drink with him, and to get him out of her hair permanently she in turn insisted that they do that right away.

In separate cars, they'd headed over to the coffee shop that Pete vowed she would absolutely love. Her current discomfort was a stark demonstration of how little he understood her.

"There we go!" Pete presenter her with a fresh cup of Americano. "Sorry about the espresso. Didn't realize you weren't into that stuff." He grinned widely at her, his open expression a jarring contrast to Jack's more guarded smiles. "I drink a lot of the stuff during stakeouts. You get all that caffeine hit in one go without needing to hit the john later on."

Sam tried to shape her face into rapt interest to stop herself from rolling her eyes.

"So. How are things with you?" he asked with so much enthusiasm that Sam suspected he'd been loading up on the caffeine for a while.

"Busy." Her reply was short and invited no further questions.

"Yeah, me too. I'm on a case here, actually. To be honest, I've been around for a few weeks now working on this case. I've called your place several times so we could meet up, but I keep missing you."

She grimaced. She'd deleted all his messages without listening to them. "Yeah. Been out on field exercises. It's a fairly common thing."

He nodded. "Field exercises. Right. Is that, like, done around here or-"

"No," she told him shaking her head. "It's done overseas actually. It's really all I can say."

"Right. Right," he said nodding his head once again. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Pete put down his cup and straightened up. "Look, Sam. I, uh, I really like you. I think we can have a great time together. I mean, you had a great time that day in San Diego right? It could be like that again," he insisted with a charming smile. "Give me a chance?"

Sam bit her lip in dismay, cursing her brother for his interference. She really, really didn't want to hurt Pete's feelings but his constant pursuit of her was becoming onerous and she couldn't in good conscience lead him on. If she had her way, she and Jack would be in front of General Hammond asking for those options they'd talked about, not here having coffee with another man while the love of her life was imitating a popsicle.

"I can tell from your face that it's a no," Pete concluded after a minute of her not saying anything.

"I'm sorry, Pete."

He sighed. "Yeah, me too."

She drove straight to Jack's house and discovered that Daniel had already arrived with fresh groceries and tubs of ice cream. It was his way of communing with Jack, he'd said.

"That's not even funny," she'd scolded him.

"Yeah, it is," he'd replied back laughing.

She'd laughed after a moment. "Yeah. Yeah it is."

"It's a good one too. We gotta make a list of jokes Jack's missed for when he wakes up."

"He's going to kick your ass for that one," she'd warned him.

"Can't wait."

They retired to the sofa after a quick bite, and dug into the Haagen Daas.

"I miss him. I can't believe we just left him down there all alone." She adjusted the afghan over her legs; she'd never needed a blanket before, there'd always been Jack there to warm her feet up.

"You heard him, Sam. There was no choice. That wasn't the city and the only way we can find help is if we contact the Asgard. Let's do what Jack told us. He knew what he was doing."

"I know," she said sighing. It was difficult to just sit there and do nothing. It wasn't what she did in a crisis. She was the type to build a particle beam just so Jack wouldn't have to await rescue for over a year in a backwater planet. The thought of that time still stung even if she had no claim to him back then.

"It's only been a few days. Doctor Weir has sent a message to the Asgard already. We just have to give them time to respond. I'm sure Thor will do everything in his power to help Jack."

"They do kinda owe him big," she half heartedly agreed. She doubted she would be anywhere near satisfied until Jack was thawed out and warm in bed with her.

Daniel put down the half-full container of ice cream, his stomach distended from that evening's meal. He stretched himself out on Jack's sofa, allowing his body to relax for the first time in what felt like weeks. He hadn't realized how tense he'd become with the ever present threat of Anubis in the horizon. With the supernatural Goa'uld's demise he felt he could actually breathe deeply in relief. Once Jack was out of stasis, he would let himself to feel some contentment and, dare he say it, happiness. Life still wouldn't be perfect, but at least he would have his best friend back.

He didn't realize that he'd closed his eyes and drifted off until sounds of Sam clearing up filtered into his consciousness. He only felt marginally bad for leaving her to clean up; he did the groceries after all. His thought processes slowed along with his breathing until he was fully asleep.

In the kitchen, Sam put away the leftovers and the rest of the groceries. She felt as exhausted as Daniel, but dreaded retiring to the bedroom alone. The sheets would still smell like Jack. She'd be surrounded by his scent, his things, and that should bring comfort. Then again it might also bring back the torrent of emotions she'd been holding back since they left Antarctica. It was only with Teal'c's silent strength she'd managed to hold on. The Jaffa's constant presence had helped her when she thought she was about to fall apart. With a kind look, an arm around her shoulder, she'd held on. She knew it was his way of honoring the man he'd betrayed his god to follow and fight alongside with.

Exhaustion finally won out. She went in the living room to cover Daniel up with her afghan so he didn't wake up in the middle of the night shivering, before making her way to the darkened master bedroom. She turned on the bedside lamps and the soft yellow light cast a warm and inviting feel to the room. The muted browns, beiges, and whites relaxed her senses. This was home. Jack was away for awhile, but he'd promised her that it wouldn't be forever and she had to trust him at his word.

* * *

The dashboard clock said eight o'clock when the lights in the house were finally extinguished.

_Who the hell went to bed at this hour?!_

He'd tailed Sam from the coffee shop, just to make sure she got home okay. He'd been disappointed at her rejection, but understood that she really wasn't interested in him. What he couldn't understand was why.

That day they'd spent together in San Diego with the rest of the Carters had been magical. She'd laughed at his stupid jokes, listened to the stories that his ex-wife thought boring, and had agreed to go out with him for drinks. Alright, so he'd been quite insistent, but she'd agreed!

Then that whole incident with the blonde and the experimental weapons. He at least had an inkling of what she did with the Air Force, so that should give them some common ground, right?

She did a disappearing act once she got back to Colorado Springs and he'd assumed that she was holed up under the mountain, making more ray guns. When her house remained empty the nights he'd 'stopped by' he'd become suspicious. Didn't scientists eventually go home? This one apparently didn't.

He'd spotted her eventually one day after work, but she'd been with someone and had only spent a few minutes at her place before leaving again. He hadn't seen her again until today.

Determined to finally leave her alone, he'd decided to follow her part way home until his own exit, but she'd taken a completely different route than the one bound for her house. His incessant curiosity got the better of him and he'd followed her to the house he was now watching.

The house was located in an affluent leafy neighbourhood not too far from the mountain. The house itself wasn't huge, but it had character and was clearly well looked after. There were two cars parked outside the garage; one of them was Sam's, the other was one he recognized as belonging to her archaeologist friend.

He wondered if the house belonged to him and if he was the reason that Sam was refusing to go out with him. Was she already seeing someone else, but didn't want anyone to know? The guy, while a bit talkative, was good looking enough.

There was no way he was going to find out anything more sitting there on his ass. He noted the number and street name of the house, then started the engine to drive back to the precinct to do a bit of research.

* * *

Colonel Albert Reynolds, the leader of SG-3 and currently in charge of a long abandoned Ancient outpost, meandered along the darkened cavern barely lit by portable floodlights powered by a borrowed naquadah generator.

Reynolds was second watch for the night… or day. It was summer in the South Pole and they had 24 hours of daylight. It was still damned cold regardless of the season. He'd checked his watch, not having bothered to change the time from UTC -6:00 since Antarctica technically was in all timezones. His inner naturally pedantic scientist had come out and argued that they were on the Ross ice shelf, same as McMurdo, and it should actually be UTC +13:00, but the rest of his team had naysay-ed him and they'd stuck to MDT.

It didn't really matter, since they were under a mile of ice. The only natural light filtered down from the ring transporter-sized shaft O'Neill had bored with the Tel'tak. They'd brought in artificial lights as per Carter's request, but dared not install anymore until they knew more about the fate of the outpost. Even now, various world governments in the know argued against US military control of the area.

Personally, he wished they would decide already and get him and his team out of this frozen hole. After a couple of days, he was tetchy and aching in places he never knew existed. He never did get on with the cold, hence his happy posting in Nevada before being poached by the SGC. Since then he'd had to deal with chilly locations, but nothing to this extreme.

The rest of SG-3 were sound asleep in their winterized tents, the flood lights turned off to conserve power, and the only source of illumination was from the torch mounted on his P90 and the limited light from the open shaft. The latter lent an eery atmosphere to the frozen walls, making it appear as if it they glowed with a bluish hue.

They studiously avoided the Ancient cryogenic chamber that housed O'Neill. They were assured by SG-1 that it would continue to function as long as the power source had juice, and the chamber had been configured by O'Neill to run on minimum power before he froze himself. There was no reason to check on the Colonel, and so they afforded him his privacy during what they felt was a vulnerable moment in the Colonel's life.

This was the reason why none of them would notice that the chamber had been activated and was drawing more power from the outpost than when they first took over for SG-1. There were no visual representations of the energy spikes originating from the Dormata, unlike a Tau'ri computer system with displays. The change in energy requirements were minute enough that no perceptible increase in power generation could be heard. None of the Tau'ri would know that a long range communications system was currently transmitting and receiving data through subspace. No one would know until it was too late. Jack O'Neill was counting on this.

* * *

**In no particular order, I want to thank the following reviewers for consistently supporting this fic. Thank You for being AWESOME:**

_**vcm, fictionadict24, LoneWolfOneill, Zoser, erinn80, RhizOneill, Kahuna, dpdp, mmkbrook, djenie, and rigger42.**_

**I also want to thank my new reviewers for leaving such nice messages for Chapter 8:**

**sewitsme, 1981, and Jacqueline Roget. **

**I'll be doing some Outtakes which will be only posted after the story is finished. I'll be sending these folks copies the moment I'm finished with it =)**

**If you want to get in on this, you know what you have to do ;-)**


	10. Out of Order Too

**Here it is folks, Chapter 10. This was a fairly hard chapter to write. Getting into the Asgard mindset doesn't come naturally to me and writing Jack outside of a group setting proved difficult. Because of what's going on with him, I had to write him slightly out of character (ie- He uses BIG science words). WE all know of course that the dumb soldier persona is all a ploy to make people underestimate him... we know better =)**

* * *

There had been very few occasions in recent memory where members of the Asgard race had been caught by surprise. Their highly structured existence was composed of predictable scientific research and dissertation that rarely lent itself to unpredictable occurrences.

Social affections and companionship were considered irrelevant. The Asgard were beyond such things, and preferred to focus their energies on advancement of technology to better assure the survival of their dying race.

While their altruistic nature also compelled them to assist the less advanced races in the fight against those who would oppress them, it was not out of affection but a sense of duty to the younger, less evolved beings that inhabited the same galaxy. The Asgard had found that forming attachments created uncertainty in their finely tuned order - something they did not appreciate.

The Asgard lived long lives and had even longer memories. Therefore to be surprised twice in only a handful of years was something to take note of. For it to happen to Heimdall, the lead scientist tasked to search out a solution to the Asgard genetic degradation problem, was conspicuous in that this particular Asgard had deliberately isolated himself in an effort to accelerate his research.

It did not occur to Heimdall that his isolation was perhaps a contributing factor to why his vessel was chosen over that of Supreme Commander Thor's, or any of the other vessels still in the vicinity of _Halla_ and their new world, _Orilla_.

When his ship spontaneously initiated its sub-light engines, Heimdall's first reaction was to override the command and run a diagnostic program. When this did not work, he attempted to access the communications array to send out a distress signal to all Asgard ships, but his attempts proved futile. By this time, the ship had gone into hyperspace, streaking to an unknown destination through the space corridor.

His kind were not the sort to give into panic. Heimdall calmly redirected his attentions to securing the data he'd been gathering from his experiments, and downloaded it into a storage device that he could take with him should he be beamed out by a rescue Asgard vessel. This was assuming, of course, that his call for help had been transmitted, which was not all certain.

He attempted to bypass the system lockdown that had initiated when the ship had left the uninhabited solar system it had been occupying. The system was heavily encrypted with an unfamiliar algorithm. Whoever had taken control of the ship was not Asgard.

* * *

It was an odd feeling being able to leave one's body at will. If out of body experiences really did exist - if Daniel going all glowy on them and then asking Jack in a vision to let him go was any indication, he would bet good money on it - then this was probably what it felt like.

Another tick in the boxes of weird things experienced by SG-1. The funny thing was, he wasn't even the first one to go through this particular jaunt; Carter had laid claim to that particular first. It wasn't the most pleasant memory for him since he'd had to technically zat to death the woman he loved.

While he still felt emotions and had his memories firmly intact, there were no physical sensations in his non-corporeal state. The sensors in the outpost were limited and he was only able to access key systems like weapons, communication, and power. He couldn't actually see what was happening inside the dome and had no idea who was currently occupying it. He hoped it wasn't SG-1.

He left two of those systems alone and concentrated his efforts on the other. Time was crucial and the Dormata could only halt his evolution for so long. Already, he was approaching the point where the Asgard would not be able to reverse all the effects of the download.

A quick look at diagnostics he was running on himself confirmed further DNA changes. The codons were being altered and encoding new proteins. The intricate system of genetic switches were turning on dormant genes including those that had been introduced to his system by the Asgard. This pollution of alien DNA were mutating to produce cells that were alien.

He wondered briefly why this didn't frighten him. Anyone sane would be scared out of his mind, and the thought that he was no longer in full possession of his faculties worried him.

Jack had a vague idea where this was going and he'd done what he could to halt its progress, but his knowledge wasn't perfect and he wasn't entirely confident that he understood the exact trajectory of the transformation.

His only real hope of stopping or even reversing what was happening were the Asgard. But only if they got to him in time.

* * *

Heimdall's ship shot out of hyperspace just outside of Earth's solar system. The outer planets displayed on the sensors console clued the Asgard scientist as to his location. The familiar system alleviated some of his concerns as this was ally territory and familiar ground to many Asgard.

As the ship drifted towards the third planet, the ship's anti-detection system went online to prevent visual identification of the vessel. Even in high orbit, the unscreened ship could have been seen by conventional scopes used by the Humans.

Heimdall didn't have long to wait to discover the purpose of his visit. The transportation beam initiated with its distinctive whine, depositing a body into a previously empty stasis chamber.

Not a moment later, the ship maneuvered away from the planet before opening up a subspace window and leaping back into hyperspace. The whole time, Heimdall continued to stare at the being that had beamed onto his ship. It was Colonel O'Neill.

The Asgard scientist cautiously approached the encased Colonel, his head canting to the side, large dark eyes reflecting the dormant form of Jack O'Neill. He stared unblinking in curiosity, slightly awed to be in this particular human's presence.

So much of his work in the past solar cycle had involved this man and to be suddenly thrust into his company was a peculiar feeling. He'd met him in the past, but that was before Loki had performed his unsanctioned experiments and thrust O'Neill into the forefront of Asgard genetic research.

The rogue Asgard had discovered a way to regenerate cells at a predetermined point, slowing cellular senescence to halt further genetic degradation. This gave scientists like Heimdall much needed time to research solutions to their genetic breakdown. The introduced cellular mutations were at the limit of effectiveness, and the Asgard were desperately searching for a final solution. Many of his kind believed that Loki's contribution provided hope for saving their race. Heimdall felt that, while it gave them time, they were still far from the ultimate solution.

"_Testing. Testing. This thing on?_"

Heimdall blinked in surprise at the disembodied voice coming from the internal communication system. As if realizing his confusion, a hologram of O'Neill appeared behind him.

"Hey there little fella. How's it going?" O'Neill had his hands in the pockets of green BDU pants and was rocking on his heels. He frowned at Heimdall's startled expression. "You okay? Sorry about the whole…" he searched for the appropriate term for kidnapping and found nothing that suited him. "Anyway," O'Neill continued on. "So _glad _you got here in time. I think you won't mind one bit once I explain everything."

"I expect that you have good reason for this unexpected appropriation of my ship."

Jack raised his eyebrows and smiled. "Hey, that's a good one. Gotta remember that. Way better than '_Shanghai-ed_'."

"What has transpired here, O'Neill?" Heimdall pointed a skinny grey finger at his motionless body.

Jack gave a dramatic sigh before answering. "Oh, you know, had another run in with a half-ascended, badly dressed, black loving, ego maniac and was forced to stick my head in one of those head sucking thingies."

"You wish for the Asgard to once again remove the knowledge of the Ancients."

"Ah, yeah, that too." Jack wandered over to the stasis chamber to study himself. "But mostly to discuss what exactly your sneaky little friend Loki did to me."

"I do not understand, O'Neill."

Jack turned away from his corporeal body to face Heimdall. "I was afraid of that."

Heimdall accessed a console and begun scanning O'Neill's body. It would take a few minutes for the diagnostic to complete and he decided to retire to the command seat while he awaited the results.

Jack followed him, knowing he would need to explain what he suspected was happening to him. In a much more serious voice, he got right to the point.

"According to the Asgard database you're the top guy - clone - whatever, in cellular evolution. This is one of the reasons why I chose you specifically to help me out with my current condition."

"In what way can I assist, O'Neill?"

"The Ancient repository not only downloads knowledge, but also triggers genetic hyper-evolution. A mutation of base genetic coding. A speciality of yours, I hear," Jack reminded him.

"Indeed," Heimdall acknowledged.

"The first symptom is increased synaptic activity. The repository attempts to evolve the recipient's brain in order to accept the unspooling of the database. But Human physiology limits further evolution. This artificial acceleration isn't compatible with our current level of development and instead of evolving to a state where ascension is possible, the body shuts down and death results."

"It is what was about to transpire when you first met our people, and it is what is happening to your body now," Heimdall pointed out with a slow even voice.

Jack raised his hand up. "Not quite. Something was different this time around. Something that wasn't present last time I took a download."

Heimdall moved his head slightly in realization. "Loki's genetic augmentations."

Jack grinned at the little Asgard. "Bingo."

Heimdall blinked at him in confusion. It always amazed Jack how well the little guys emoted with just a series of head movements and blinks. It briefly crossed his mind to explain what the expression actually meant, but dismissed that thought as quickly as it came.

"Never mind," he said with a wave of a hand, as if pushing the matter away. "The point is that Loki's hack job led to something unforeseen, and I need you to fix it."

The diagnostic console beeped at that precise moment and Heimdall moved to see the results of his scans. He shifted some control stones as he read through the information being displayed on the screens. "Interesting."

Jack hovered over Heimdall's thin shoulder trying to see what the scientist had found so fascinating. "What?"

"In order for Loki's procedure to work, he had to make certain changes to your genetic structure. Make it more robust, if you will. Human and Ancient DNA is sufficiently different to that of the Asgard that a promising result from human subjects would not necessarily yield positive results for Asgard DNA.

"Loki believed that the ultimate solution lay in creating an improved biological vessel that could hold the Asgard consciousness. Your ability to hold the Ancient database in your mind - however briefly - sparked the idea that an advanced Human/Asgard hybrid would be the key to his research."

Jack leaned further forward to glance through the Asgard text on the screen. It was Loki's research notes and most recent results of his work with Idun. He never really understood why the rogue Asgard had done what he did. Thor had briefly explained why Loki's and Idun's research was important and that it gave the Asgard more time to find a solution to their genetic degradation, but the Supreme Commander had been vague on details. He now understood why. "The little bastard was playing fast and loose with me," he muttered angrily. He turned to Heimdall with a dark expression. "Can you fix it?"

"I will certainly attempt to do so, O'Neill. While I believe that I will be able to halt the progression of the Repository, there will be permanent side-effects that I cannot do anything about. Your hybrid DNA has allowed the transformation to go further than what was possible in a normal human and the Asgard do not have the level of technology needed to reverse this progress."

Jack grimaced, before replying. "As long as these side-effects don't involve _releasing one's burden_ and going all_ glowy_, I'll live with it," he said making air quotes.

"Then we will proceed."

Jack deactivated his hologram and allowed Heimdall to work in peace while he contemplated what Loki had carelessly wrought. If the procedure was successful, then he would most likely not understand as fully as he did at this moment exactly what had been done to him. He figured that wouldn't matter. He'd still be really, really pissed at the little alien punk. How Thor and Heimdall could belong to the same species… well there were always those types in any race. He'd done some damned distasteful things in his time, so he wasn't one to cast… rocks.

He was probably more like the Lokis and Iduns of humanity than he was like the Thors and Heimdalls. Carter and Daniel were solidly in the latter category. His lover and his best friend were innately good inside. They didn't have to work hard on it like he did.

It was no coincidence that Daniel naturally went glowy when he did and he only hoped that when the time cames, so would Sam. He knew if anyone deserved it, it was her. Guys like him didn't deserve to go out like that, no matter how 'evolved' their brains had become. He had no idea if there was an afterlife or not, but he wouldn't cheat through genetic engineering just to avoid a more final end. If there was a grander plan, a real head honcho, then the only thing he could ask for was for his soul to be reunited with his son.

* * *

It was like he'd drifted off to sleep. One moment he'd been thinking about life, love and the meaning of the universe thing, then he was opening his eyes to an overly bright room. Spikes of pain lanced through his skull and he had to take a deep breath to stop himself from hurling.

The clear glass above him retracted allowing him to get up from the stasis chamber. He lay there for another minute, feeling the pain in his head fade into a dull throb. He clutched at his head before pulling himself up into a sitting position. Heimdall was standing beside the chamber observing him.

"Oy! My _fron_!" Ah, crap. He'd said_ fron_.

"Do not worry O'Neill. It will take time for you to adapt to the activated areas in your cerebral cortex and subcortical regions of your brain."

"See, the most disturbing part of what you just said is that I actually understood it… and I do believe that you were speaking Asgard," he said, frowning at Heimdall. "What gives?"

"As I suspected, I was not able to fully reverse the effects of the repository. While synaptic activity has gone down by thirty percent, it is still well beyond the region of what is normal for humans." Heimdall walked over to the control center and brought up scans of his brain to point out the parts that were still showing abnormal activity. "I am uncertain which Ancient abilities you will retain, but from the modifications you made on my diagnostic system, it appears that in order to reach a state of Ascension, synaptic connections must reach a minimum of ninety-six percent at near zero neuron activity. You are now safely below those levels and should remain so, outside unforeseen factors."

Jack breathed out a sigh of relief. He'd been so close. The _Dormata_ had provided that all important function of shutting down his brain to the point of coma while the synaptic connections in his brain continued to slowly increase. It would've been extremely useful if he'd been able to access the full criteria for Ascension before he'd deliberately frozen himself, but hindsight was a bitch. By the time he'd become aware what he'd done, he knew he had to go to plan B.

"So how about the Asgard part of it?"

Heimdall blinked at him confusion.

"You know? The whole being a hybrid thing… can you do something about that?" Jack elaborated. He'd removed himself from the chamber to stretch his legs and discovered that he was actually feeling great.

"I am sorry, O'Neill. What Loki did cannot be undone. It is now part of your genome and any attempts to reverse it would likely prove fatal."

Jack's shoulders slumped down, looking as if something inside him had deflated. He grimaced and looked away from the little Asgard. "Yeah… I kinda figured that. I guess I just had to ask." He shifted from foot to foot in an uncomfortable movement until something occurred to him that might just be extremely important. He squinted at Heimdall as if trying to gauge his truthfulness. "Just out of curiosity, with the Asgard genes floating around inside me, I'm not going to end up producing bald little grey guys am I?"

Heimdall turned away from him and started working on his console.

"No. Seriously. I was kinda hoping for blonde blue eyed munchkins. I doubt Carter would appreciate being surprised with an Asgard baby. Even if it turns out to be almost as smart as she is..."

* * *

They arrived in the new Asgard colony of _Orilla_, much to the astonishment of the High Council.

Their ship bursting out of hyperspace so close to the planet did not go unnoticed by Commander Aegir, who was charged with patrolling his new homeworld. The _Valhalla_ instantly hailed them to inquire about the unexpected return of Heimdall's ship to the_ Othala_ galaxy.

Heimdall's succinct explanation had them standing in front of Penegal, Freyr and the Chief Archon a minute later. The sudden change in location had Jack's senses reeling. He still wasn't a hundred percent despite all appearances.

"You folks really need to warn a guy before you do that," he complained to the three Council members who were sitting up on a dais similar to the one in their previous homeworld. The decor was as clinical as ever, all greys and metals with subdued lighting. A beam of light was shining on him and Heimdall, but even with his now enhanced vision, he couldn't locate the source of the beam.

"Greetings O'Neill," Freyr said ignoring his outburst.

"Freyr! How's it going? New body I see," Jack greeted the council member with a ready smile.

"Many of us were injured in our battle with Replicators," Freyr explained.

"Well, you _look_ great!" Jack gesticulated with his arms, making the much more still Asgard nervous. "The new body really suits you."

Freyr canted his head to the side. "We are curious about your presence here, O'Neill. Particularly in the company of Heimdall."

"Yeah?" Jack asked feigning surprise. "Me and Heimdall here-" he glanced sideways at his small companion. "go way back. Don't we buddy?"

"We do not understand," Penegal finally spoke up.

"You seemed to have moved house and I was kinda in a hurry to get in touch, so I got Heimdall here to give me a hand instead… 'cause we're old compadres, ya know? Anyhoo, he knew exactly what to do and I'm good now…" he frowned. "Mostly."

"We are concerned about how you located Heimdall's ship. His location was kept quiet from everyone apart from the council due to the sensitivity of his work," Penegal told him bluntly.

"See… it's a funny story, really. It involves a half-ascended Goa'uld; You've probably heard of him. Black cloak, oily skin, kinda spooky-"

"_Anubis,_" Freyr said with a hint of disapproval, interrupting his description of the infamous Goa'uld.

Jack stuffed his hands in his BDU pockets and continued with his explanation. "Tried to enslave my fair planet. We kicked his butt to another plane of existence with a little help from the Ancients," he finished with a grin.

All three Council members stared at him in incomprehension before turning their attentions on Heimdall who was standing patiently next to Jack. The Asgard geneticist sighed in forbearance and proceeded to explain the whole affair as concisely as possible.

"Once again, we are in your debt, O'Neill," Freyr said to Jack with gratitude. "In giving Heimdall data from your transformation, he will be able to narrow and refine his research, giving the Asgard even more time find a solution to our problem."

"Yeah, well… next time it's your turn to save our butts," he said pointing a finger at all three Asgard.

At least that was part of the plan, but with all plans involving SG-1, something had to go completely FUBAR, and Jack ended up saving their little grey butts once more, with dire, far reaching consequences.

* * *

**I actually have the next chapter written, but unedited. I can be persuaded to lean on my beta to get it done so I could post quickly ;-) As usual, many thanks to my awesome reviewers who continue to support this fic. There's quite a few of you (100+) following this story and I'd love to hear from you guys too. Reviews make me write faster! **


	11. They've Lost That Loving Feeling

**Now don't you all get used to these quick updates ;-) Having said that, I'm working on Chapter 12 and will hopefully resolve this particular thread of the story and introduce a somewhat sinister plot line in the upcoming chapters. Jake, Janet, Jonas, Cassie, Paul, Hammond and (I'm sorry to say) Pete will be back.**

**Thank you so much to all the folks who reviewed. Knowing you guys are out there waiting to read the next chapter inspire me to write faster and hopefully better.**

_**Kahuna: **"Dire far reaching consequences" does sound a tad overly dramatic doesn't it? I do hope the story live up to it! Thanks for your always constructive reviews =) _

* * *

"_What the hell do you mean he's GONE?!_"

Sam Carter stood with both hands flat on the conference table, her chair having been pushed back a distance when she'd shot to her feet in fury. She glowered at the concerned looking Dr. Weir who had the unfortunate task of having to inform SG-1 of Jack O'Neill's mysterious disappearance.

"How the hell do you lose someone in stasis?" she asked the next question without waiting for Weir to answer her original query.

"Sam." Daniel said in warning. He motioned for her to retake her seat, but all he got was a defiant glare. The major would not back down. Not when it came to Jack.

"We don't know, is the honest answer," Weir jumped in before Sam could ask more questions. "SG-3 were there the whole time. No one came in or out. The only reason Colonel Reynolds even noticed the stasis chamber was empty was because one of his men got turned around in the dark and accidentally stumbled into the closed off area. They said nothing looked amiss and the chamber seemed to still be working."

"Nothing looked amiss except that Jack wasn't inside," Daniel clarified. He tapped his pen on his ever-present notepad, not sparing Sam a glance. She was still standing there looking decidedly mutinous. "I don't suppose anyone saw a flash of light?" he asked Weir.

"You mean the Asgard," Weir replied now looking much less at ease.

"Thor would at least take one of us too, and inform the SGC what he was doing," Sam spoke before Daniel could answer. "They wouldn't just take him away."

Daniel shrugged and gave Sam a sympathetic look. He knew just how much she was suffering if what he was feeling was any indication. "It's only a guess, Sam. The Asgard are the most likely suspects and if Thor was in a hurry he might not have thought to leave a note. If Jack's with them, it's frankly the best place for him."

Sam shook her head in despair. "But we don't really know for sure."

"No," Daniel agreed. There was no point in sugar coating things. Sam was a soldier. She knew the drill.

"We can't just sit here and do nothing!" Sam argued. She straightened and turned to look out the observation window to stare at the gate below.

"What do you propose we do, MajorCarter?" Teal'c spoke up, taking over the difficult situation. Samantha Carter was not acting as she should, and he knew that in this situation O'Neill would want him to take the lead in his absence.

Sam didn't answer right away, her eyes locked on the chevrons of the gate, her mind frantically going through options and quickly discarding each one as it came. It all came down to one thing, but Dr. Weir had already shot her down when she first suggested it. Then again, nothing ventured, nothing gained. If were she who was missing, Jack wouldn't take no for an answer. He'd badger and badger until they gave in. If they didn't, he'd steal the damned ship and go anyway.

"I want you to reconsider my request," Sam told Weir, crossing her arms in front of her defensively, ready to argue her case until she turned blue.

Weir sighed in frustration, knowing that what Carter was asking would be a political minefield. "As I've said, Major, the Pentagon considers the cargo ship far too valuable for this planet's defense. There's also no guarantee that the Asgard are in _Halla_ and you said so yourself; you could be stranding yourselves there with no hope of rescue and no help for Colonel O'Neill."

Sam took a step forward to stand behind an empty seat. She gripped the leather tightly to control her rapidly rising temper.

"If it weren't for Colonel O'Neill, this planet would be enslaved right now. We owe him everything. His well being should be a priority for the Pentagon, not just an afterthought. If this is the way they choose to treat those who continue to risk their lives for this planet, then maybe some of us won't be so inclined to risk it again next time another threat presents itself."

The new leader of the SGC looked away from Sam's intense gaze, realizing that the situation had escalated beyond what she was prepared to deal with. Not even a month on the job and she had the foremost expert on the Gate and alien technology threatening to quit.

She had no doubt in her mind that Sam Carter would do as she promised, taking with her all the knowledge and expertise they sorely needed at the moment. As a negotiator, Elizabeth Weir acknowledged that the woman before her now held most of the cards.

Weir sighed, knowing her acquiescence in this matter would result in considerable headache later on. She looked back at the major and gave a slight nod. "Alright."

Daniel's mouth dropped open in surprise. "Alright? You mean…" He stared at Sam and grinned at the relief on the blonde's face.

Sam nodded briefly. "Thank you."

"On one condition," Weir qualified, pointing her index finger up in a halting gesture. Sam straightened waiting for the caveat. "Dr. Jackson remains here."

"What?" Daniel blurted out. "_Why_?" he asked looking back and forth between Weir and Sam.

"In the absence of the cargo ship we have no clear tactical advantage over the Goa'uld should they attack again. Without Colonel O'Neill, or Major Carter around there's no guarantee that we will be able to figure out how the weapons platform works. We'll need you to translate if we'll ever have any chance of getting it to work again."

"I will accompany MajorCarter," Teal'c declared. There was no real way of making the Jaffa stay should he choose to leave.

Sam softened her expression. "We'll be fine, Daniel," she said in a reassuring tone. They both knew that there was no guarantee of that, but they needed to keep positive or risk falling apart.

* * *

Even with the modified engines, Sam estimated the trip to _Halla_ would still take ten days. She dared not push the engines too far or risk burning them out before they got to their destination. This was a one shot deal and she made sure to baby the engines, constantly monitoring the control crystals and power outputs to see if they were running hot.

It was a good thing that the engines took up most of her time since Teal'c wasn't the most talkative of companions. She was too wired to read a book, her mind quickly drifting to thoughts of Jack and what could be happening to him at that moment.

Her enjoyment of most things had soured ever since the download and it had only worsened as the days passed without a word from the Asgard. They'd made so many promises to each other and it was very painful to think that those things would not come to pass. Without Jack, her whole life stretched out before her like some dark empty chasm, unknown and frightening.

She thought of her father and the telling silence of their former allies. There was no way to know if Jacob had survived the unrelenting force that was Anubis. Would she ever find out? Had she condemned herself and Teal'c to a fruitless mission where they would be forever lost in another galaxy, never knowing the fate of their loved ones?

Teal'c still had Rya'c yet he'd always been the first to volunteer in reckless ventures with only a thin veneer of hope sustaining it. Most would call it selfless. Would his son? Knowing how Jaffa lived their lives, she supposed he would.

It had become glaring obvious to her stuck in the cargo ship, hurtling into the unknown, that if they all survived this relatively intact, then she would make the difficult decision of whether this was the life she wanted to continue living or if she was ready for that next step.

Their luck would run out sometime. She could only test the waters of fate so far before she had to decide to either jump in, or keep firmly on the shore.

In her mind's eye, she pictured those children Jack had promised to give her. Was she prepared to breathe life into the imagined? It would mean the end of an era. SG-1 would be no more.

* * *

_Orilla_, compared to the original Asgard homeworld of_ Othala_, was far less densely populated. The gleaming silver buildings were interspersed with mature trees of varying sizes as if the growing city had suddenly sprung up from the forest floor.

As with _Othala_ the Asgard had chosen a mountainous region, easily defensible from ground attacks from a purely tactical point of view. On a more aesthetic point, the mountains created a beautiful vista upon which to gaze. There were no oceans nearby, only a few large lakes dotting the landscape, and this was where _Orilla_ differed from the Asgard's previous homeworld.

One of the most startling feature of the Council's seat had been the sprawling ocean harbor with bluffs that stretched on for miles. Trinium alloy jetties extended like thin arms into the waters, sailing ships conspicuous by their absence. The only docks populated with ships were the ones that hung high above the city and the waves.

Those jetties were now long gone, consumed by Replicators to create more of their own. The Asgard were hesitant to build elaborate structures when their future seemed so uncertain. The severity of their race's condition was a well kept secret in order to protect those under the Asgard's care. Planets like Cimmeria would fall under Goa'uld control once more if their enemies knew how little time the Asgard people had left.

The Protected Planets Treaty had been a game of bluff for many years since the Replicators had decimated so many Asgard worlds. Their ships were stretched thin, constantly on the backfoot as their enemy closed in.

Many had hoped that Jack O'Neill would save them, that his genome would be the long lost missing piece in their research. When that had come to naught, they had despaired but vowed to continue the work they'd committed themselves to all the while trying to preserve their race.

Jack O'Neill listened to the forlorn tale as told by Heimdall. The Asgard had always seemed so infallible with their advanced technology and seeming ability to defeat effortlessly Humanity's greatest foe. It had not occurred to him that they were a dying race, one that had, through their own doing, effectively removed themselves from creation.

There were no longer any new Asgard. No children would inherit the sprawling world made of the most advanced metals and materials when the current inhabitants shuffled off their mortal coils. The forest would soon reclaim the land and cover the remnants of a once mighty civilization with green foliage, much like other countless kingdoms of the past. Nature had no respect for titles or domains.

Night had closed in when Heimdall delivered O'Neill to his personal quarters located in the same building as the High Council hall. It had been prepared when news of his arrival had filtered through the Fleet. It was high up in the spires, affording him a bird's eye view of the greatest - and last - Asgard city.

Stars from the very clear sky and lights from the towers sprinkled the vista with light. The wall to wall, floor to ceiling glass separating the room from the ground below would give most vertigo. Jack was a seasoned pilot though, he lived for the thrill of the highs. In his early days in Special Forces, he'd scaled cliffs and mountain faces with only a sturdy rope tethering him from a fall. It sorted the men out from the boys.

His first instinct at seeing the windows had been to press his forehead on the clear glass, leaning his body forward, so that his weight concentrated on his head. It gave him the illusion of hovering in a free fall, the ground failing to approach like a bullseye about to hit him, unlike the innumerable jumps in his career. He personally knew what it felt like when chutes fail to open and the ground rushed to you at break-neck speed.

Tired of the childish game, Jack spied the enormous bed with which he'd been provided and promptly collapsed onto it face first. His mind had never really stopped, despite not having a functioning body. Now that he was joined to his corporeal form, he felt the familiar fatigue engulf him. The soft white sheets on the bed were amazing, like satin and silk caressing his skin. The room temperature was perfect and he quickly discarded his filthy BDUs, underwear and combat boots to crawl under the sheets naked.

While his body felt exhausted, though, his mind continued to race, trying to work out a solution to a new problem. He now had a better understanding of what it was like for people like Carter. No wonder it was like pulling teeth trying to get her out of her lab when she was on a roll.

When his mind inevitably went to Carter, he thought of the nights they spent in his bed just talking and holding each other. It was such a basic human need to be loved and wanted. To hold onto a warm body, whether it be a friend, a parent, or a lover, or a child. That sort of closeness to another living being was as euphoric as any sexual or thrilling experience. No drug or drink could mimic its effects.

Perhaps in losing that basic need, the Asgard had forfeited their right to life. They weren't living; rather, they were only existing for millenia, never really moving forward. They had developed the most advanced technologies only rivaled by the Ancients and the Nox, but they derived no pleasure from the simple everyday things.

Their frail bodies made it impossible to walk long distances and so the forests and lakes of their new planet remained unexplored. There were no footpaths between buildings because holographic technology did not necessitate them, and so they didn't partake of the fresh pine-scented air that permeated the city to conduct business with other Asgard.

They ate blocks of nutrients that were meant only to sustain them; the disgusting colored blocks with the consistency of soap and hardened gelatin were a biological necessity rather than a gastronomic pleasurable experience to be shared with friends.

To Jack it was a dreary existence, one that he would personally would not work to prolong.

Yet, the Asgard were determined to survive. They wanted to live at least for the sake of others dependent on their protection. If only he could convince them that in order to achieve that, they would need to change - cast off their failures and look to a different way of thinking.

He thought again of that night with Sam and suddenly he knew it was so simple. The Asgard were so determined to find a solution with technology when they should have been looking all around them, looking to Nature.

Determination built up inside him. He would help the Asgard even if he had to drag them kicking and screaming to do it. Metaphorically, he hoped, but literally if required.

* * *

**A bit introspective, I know. The end of the Asgard though? That's heavy stuff. I cried at the end of the series. As Jack said, "... You gotta love those guys!". Let's hope they survive 'cause there's a whole lot of bad coming and Jack might not be able to save everyone. As always, let me know what you think! **

**Those guys following who haven't reviewed yet, I'd love to hear from you guys too. **


	12. Cleansing Those Negative Vibes

**Not much to say except, enjoy and let me know what you think afterwards. Working on Chapter 13. Reviews inspire me to write faster ;-) **

* * *

After two weeks of living and working with the Asgard, Jack discovered that, as a race, the little gray guys liked to take things in their stride. If he were to be perfectly honest in his estimation of them, he'd say they were subdued to the point of being comatose. From what Heimdall had told him, perhaps this was symptomatic of a dying people.

He'd taken many walks through the forest below the towering spindly buildings, and he'd yet to see another living soul. There were no large animals living in the area, his only company had been a few burrowing animals and twittering birds. Inside the buildings there was even more silence. The Asgard spoke in a whisper-like language when they spoke at all, and rarely did they congregate in large numbers these days.

He'd found out that most of the Asgard population were disembodied, their minds kept in computer cores capable of storing massive amounts of data at a quantum level. When Loki and Idun had shared their findings, plans to transfer those minds into newly cloned bodies were delayed to await the results of further experimentations.

This explained the mostly empty buildings, populated only by working scientists and those charged to protect the colony. The entire colony was automated, their material needs being synthesized by their matter converters. The combination of computer cores and beaming technology could create most things, given a suitable amount of matter and provided that they had quantum blueprints for that item.

After hours in the lab with Heimdall going through simulation after simulation, Jack had to beg to be allowed to take a walk in the fresh air and stretch his long legs. What he really wanted to do was go running, or perhaps take a swim in one of the crystal clear lakes, but he was expected back in the lab to meet with another geneticist who specialized in hybridization.

Jack was about to step out of the building when the city communication system broadcast a calm Asgard voice announcing an impending Replicator attack. It seemed that the problem Thor was busy taking care of had not been taken care of.

He sprinted back to the lab to find out what was going on. Heimdall was calming inputting commands into the computer system while another Asgard did the same in another area of the lab.

"What's going on?" he asked Heimdall as he read through the commands on the screen.

They were beaming the computer cores onto an awaiting ship?

"Supreme Commander Thor has warned us that a ship controlled by Human-Form Replicators is on its way. Commander Aegir is waiting to intercept and destroy the ship just as it exits hyperspace-"

"Because shields are not operational while travelling through and exiting hyperspace," Jack concluded. He saw Heimdall nod his head before the Asgard scientist returned to continue his work.

"But you're not entirely confident that it will work, otherwise you wouldn't be preparing to transfer the cores to the _Valkyrie_."

"You are correct, O'Neill. We cannot take any chances with the future of the Asgard. The council has asked that all those working on _Einherjar_ be beamed aboard."

Jack took a fortifying breath and stared defiantly at the scrolling commands Heimdall had entered. Arms akimbo he closed his eyes. "I'm not leaving."

He concentrated on accessing the relevant information stored deeply inside his mind. Less than a minute later his eyes blinked open and he darted forward to an available control panel. He typed in a series of commands, and information on disrupting signals of individual nanite cells filled the screen.

With rapid, almost blurred movements, he was able to pull up Ancient designs that the Asgard had obtained from another Repository of Knowledge. Once he was sure he'd made the correct modifications, he dispatched the blueprints to the matter converter in the lab.

That done, he brought up specifications for a standard Replicator bug - casually bypassing any number of security blocks and warnings - and altered the individual blocks to be neutronium-based. He didn't have the time to go through various permutations. He needed to see if the disruptor would work on the most resilient composition that Replicators could consume.

The other Asgard came into their part of the lab carrying what looked like a large semi-spherical x shaped device. The little guy with his skinny arms and legs struggled to carry the lightweight but bulky weapon.

Jack fought a grin. "Thanks, uh… didn't catch your name there."

"Humans have a peculiar way of speaking. I am Silje."

Right; not a guy then. Silje, from what he'd read from the population database, was a female Asgard scientist. Not that this made a great deal of difference in a race that had given up on sexual reproduction, and presumably all the associated fun… Jack dragged his mind back to the present.

He took the disruptor and placed his arm inside the trigger mechanism. The Replicator bug sat frozen on a lab bench, illuminated by spotlights shining down from the ceiling.

"Would you mind, Sylvia?" Jack motioned to the inanimate bug, deliberately mangling the female Asgard's name. 'Sylvia' didn't react to the misnomer and simply entered the appropriate commands.

Instantly, the Replicator came to life, the distinctive mechanical sounds familiar to anyone who'd encountered them before. Before it could move to crawl away, Jack shot it with the disruptor, a wave of energy washing over the mechanical insect and rendering the individual cells inert. Blocks made of neutronium pooled onto the bench, as if someone had poured it from a bucket containing the metal.

Jack lowered the weapon and walked over to pick through the pile of grey blocks. He sifted it through his fingers confirming that they were definitely dead.

"Yeah, that's pretty effective," he said as he gestured with his arm that was encased by the weapon.

"_Very_ effective," Silje agreed.

Heimdall had glanced at the display before returning to executing the commands to evacuate the cores.

Jack removed the weapon from his arm and begun implementing its disruptor technology on the existing Asgard cannons installed on all nearby Asgard ships. The _Valkyrie_ was the first ship he configured, in order to protect its precious cargo. If things went badly down on the planet, at least the ship would survive and be able to defend itself.

"O'Neill."

Jack heard Heimdall call his name and he turned his head to acknowledge him. "Kinda busy right now." His hands kept working on the console even as he spoke.

"Commander Aegir has destroyed the Replicator ship as it exited hyperspace."

Jack's hands paused, hovering over the input controls. He frowned in confusion at Heimdall's unrelieved tone. "That's great isn't it?"

"The debris from the destroyed ship could not be contained and countless Replicator blocks are raining down on_ Orilla_. It will not be long until they begin replicating and infest our systems. We must evacuate now."

Jack shook his head and started typing more rapidly. Change of plan. "You and Sylvia can move out. I've modified the _Valkyrie's_ cannons. The last of the cores have been transported up. You're good to go."

"What of you, O'Neill?" Silje asked. She and Heimdall stood close together observing him.

"I can take care of myself. You two-" he pointed two fingers at them. "need to leave now."

"Very well," Heimdall replied and the two disappeared in a flash of light.

That's what he liked about his new Asgard friends. They knew how to take orders, unlike their more human counterparts he thought, shaking his head.

Alone in the lab, he worked with superhuman speed, tapping into the system using an experimental neural interface he'd created based on an Ancient design. He entered the last values needed to broadcast a disruptor wave and set it to initialize once the modified satellite cannon he'd synthesized was fully charged and beamed out into orbit.

Out of the zone, he focused on his surroundings again and realized that lights were flickering in the adjacent buildings. That sort of power fluctuation could only be caused by tapping into the grid, which was virtually impossible without force.

"O'Neill."

Jack spun around on his heel and recognized the holographic projection of his old friend.

"Thor! Long time no see, buddy!"

"I wish I were here to bring better news," Thor apologized. Something flickered next to him and another hologram appeared.

"T!" Jack exclaimed in genuine surprise. If he was here… His gut suddenly felt like it had lead in it.

"It is I, my brother," Teal'c replied back somberly. He had his sad Jaffa face on. "I regret to inform you that I failed to protect the one that is most precious to you."

Jack swallowed back the bile in his throat. "What are you saying?"

"Major Carter was taken by the Human-form Replicator. She was on the ship when it was destroyed."

No, no, no. He would feel it if she were gone. This wasn't happening…

He abruptly turned away from his friends and went back to the control console to perform a planetary scan.

There.

A large pack of Replicators had congregated in an area rich with a vein of neutronium. It was like a feeding ground for the Human-form bastards. _They'd hurt Carter_. It was the perfect place to exact retribution.

He scanned for human life signs. Finding none, he stepped away from the console and slipped the disruptor onto his arm.

"Thor, send me to the coordinates I just relayed to you. Get me as close as possible."

"You would be surrounded by countless Replicators, O'Neill," Thor warned him.

"That's what I'm counting on."

If Sam was gone then there was no real reason for him to care too much if this was a one way trip. He'd be doing the Asgard a favor by getting rid of the parasites once and for all.

Two seconds later the sterile lab was replaced by the forest floor with soaring trees muting the daylight in grey. It would have been otherwise quite peaceful except the moss covered trunks were crawling with Replicator bugs.

Clearly aware of the threat of his presence, these bugs didn't ignore him but immediately begun forming into groups, readying for an attack.

Jack didn't waste any time blasting them with the disruptor, leaping over the uneven ground while he demolished his way towards the location of the neutronium vein. Swarms of Replicators tried to block his progress, but he sprinted at full speed to his goal, firing his weapon, dodging past countless metal bugs and Replicator blocks that shattered around him as he discharged wave after wave of disruptor energy.

"Stop!"

Jack swiftly halted in his tracks to look to his right. A familiar dark haired young man stood among the advancing bugs. It was someone Jack had hoped never to see again. He raised his weapon intending to fire.

"If you harm me or anymore of my brethren, I assure you, Major Carter will die instantly," Fifth threatened with an angry voice.

Jack winced and lowered his weapon.

"Let Carter go and I'll consider it. Otherwise, I won't be as merciful as last time. I'll wipe you and all your kind out of existence," Jack replied, stone-faced.

"You call what you did _merciful_?" Fifth hissed. "You ordered Samantha to betray me!"

Fifth's expression changed and he looked up as if listening to a soundless voice. He vanished as quickly as he had appeared, and the Replicators on the ground all moved in the same direction at once, retreating towards the vein of neutronium.

Jack swore silently under his breath and gave chase.

* * *

Once out in the clearing, Jack saw the enormity of the Replicator ship. He sped up, not even slightly out of breath, the disruptor close to his body. It wouldn't be long until the satellite disruptor cannon fired from orbit.

He counted down under his breath and sure enough a massive wave swept across the Asgard colony, reducing Replicators into individual blocks. It would take time for the satellite to reposition itself and fire a wave directly at his location, so Jack pushed harder still, blasting more of the bugs that got in his way.

He was close, but not quite near enough for the disruptor to have an effect. A groaning metal sound ripped through the air and Jack saw that the ship was taking off, Replicator bugs leaping up to connect to the cells of the ship.

_Dammit. _Carter was in there! He couldn't let up.

The ship gained altitude, rising up from the ground, its landing legs resembling those of a crab folding in on itself. He stopped just below the hovering ship and fired, but the large hunk of metal shot up at the last moment and entered a hyperspace window, the wave missing it completely.

"Goddammit! Sonovabitch!" Jack raged at the empty sky above him, the disruptor falling off his arm onto the leaf covered ground. He sunk to his knees, despair taking over him.

He'd failed her. He'd failed Sam just like he'd failed his son so long ago. He'd been so close. If only he'd been faster, stronger…

Wetness escaped his eyes and he let the tears flow down his cheeks to mix with the sweat that stung the cuts he'd sustained through his mad dash through the forest.

It should've been him. She'd only been following his orders. Sam was incapable of that sort of betrayal. He'd forced her to lie to Fifth, something he'd known she wasn't comfortable with. It was entirely his fault that the Replicator took his vengeance out on her.

"I'm sorry, Sam," Jack whispered, his voice breaking. He sat back on his haunches, staring blankly on the dead leaves strewn on the ground. A large part him felt like joining the decaying foliage, just sink into ground and disappear into the earth.

He sat there for what felt like hours, in reality, only minutes had passed. It seemed like a harbinger of the kind of life that awaited him; Days seeming to stretch without end.

Eventually, pins and needles prompted him to rise up and move. He absently picked up his abandoned weapon and reached into his BDU pocket for the communication stone.

"Thor?"

"O'Neill. The weapon worked. All the remaining Replicators have been neutralized. While the ship did escape, at least we have an effective means of fighting them now."

Jack closed his eyes to reign in his emotions before replying dryly, "Yeah. At least there's that."

"Are you prepared to transport to my ship?"

"Go ahead." He pocketed the stone and disappeared in the beam of white light.

Jack appeared on the bridge of Thor's ship a second later. He saw Teal'c standing by Thor and when the Jaffa saw him, he quickly walked over to Jack and clutched his shoulder.

"I am sorry, my friend."

Jack looked away. "Wasn't your fault, T. I wasn't fast enough and I kept firing even when he said-" he shook his head, unable to continue.

"I do not understand," Teal'c frowned at him in confusion. "What has transpired?"

Jack couldn't look at his friend. "He said she was on that ship, but… I scanned it myself. No life signs."

"The Replicator shields would have been impervious to external scans to prevent beaming technology from functioning inside. Major Carter's life signs would have been masked."

Jack and Teal'c both stared at Thor, a blossom of hope growing inside them.

"I had not thought to perform a scan of the region, but it appears that a life form is present not far from where the Replicator ship took off."

Teal'c's hand fell away from Jack's shoulder as the colonel took a step towards Thor.

"Send us down right now."

Thor moved a control stone, transporting Jack and Teal'c down to the planet.

The two split up the moment they got their bearings, Jack going north and Teal'c going south. His impatience getting the better of him, Jack sprinted to cover more ground, his sharp eyes scanning for someone whom he hoped was Carter.

Teal'c had turned briefly to check on Jack. What he saw both amazed him and put fear in his heart.

The speed with which O'Neill had taken off on foot and the manner in which he accelerated further concerned the Jaffa. He had yet to find out what had transpired with O'Neill and the Asgard in the fortnight that he was gone. He was not one to speculate. He feared that the Ancient knowledge had not been removed from his friend, and that O'Neill was risking his life in order to save others once again.

Teal'c was not a natural runner. His size and the bulk of his muscles prevented him from being swift. He compensated by being sure-footed, stealthy, and observant. In the end, it was he who found Major Carter, curled up beside a large hollowed-out fallen tree trunk.

He had previously noticed a radio on O'Neill's vest, and hoped that it still functioned.

"Come in, O'Neill."

He heard static for a moment before the colonel responded. "Have you found her?"

The Jaffa touched the major's shoulder and breathed a sigh of relief when he felt that she was still warm to the touch. He spoke to the radio on his shoulder. "Indeed, O'Neill. She is unconscious, but breathing."

"Understood."

Teal'c removed his P90 and set it on the ground. He then went about shifting Sam into the recovery position. Satisfied that her airway was not blocked, he sat back and waited for Jack to arrive.

Jack ran back the way he came, leaping over fallen trees and dodging critter holes in his haste to get to Carter. She was alive, which was more than he had been not so long ago. He'd get her back to the city and treat her there.

He saw Teal'c kneeling by a black clad figure lying on their side. The familiar shock of blonde hair was like a shot of adrenaline to the system which drove him the last few steps to her side.

For a moment he just stared at her face, amazed that she was there, alive. His hands of their own accord reached for her face, stroking the long fringes of hair away from her eyes.

Sam suddenly gasped at his touch, her cornflower eyes blinking open at the delicious warmth on her face. "Jack…"

Jack swallowed the lump in his throat to reply. "I'm here, baby."

Her face crumpled up and she burst into tears. Jack gathered her up into his arms, cradling her across his knees as she sobbed tears of relief. She clung tightly to him, not wanting to ever let go.

He let her cry it all out, making shushing noises as she shook and hiccuped. When she pulled him even closer, he tightened his arms in response, mindful of not hurting her. He ignored everything else around them and focused solely on the woman surrounding his whole being.

They sat there, wrapped up in each other until she was all cried out. His universe had narrowed to the two of them and it wasn't until he moved his face slightly from out of her hair that he noticed the dying light.

Dusk had set in, the birds quieting their song until only the rustling of the leaves could be heard. Teal'c had disappeared, presumably to give them some privacy. The temperature had dropped a few degrees, and with the sweat on his skin he could feel himself shiver a little in the cool breeze.

"Sam?"

She shifted against him, but didn't reply.

"It's getting dark. How about we take this somewhere more comfortable?"

He felt her nod against him and decided to keep her close. Without real effort, he managed to rise to his knees and lift her up in his arms. Teal'c, like a sentinel, appeared just as he got to his feet with Carter clinging securely with her arms around his neck.

Teal'c signaled Thor, and they reappeared in Thor's ship.

Jack instructed the Supreme Commander to transport him and Carter to his private quarters down on the planet. Thor seemed to know where that was, because they materialized a moment later where he'd instructed. Teal'c had remained on the ship with Thor to send a message back to Earth.

Jack found out that Daniel had remained Earth-side and figured his best friend was going crazy with worry. Teal'c would reassure him in the briefest manner possible; it was a gift the Jaffa had.

His jaunt through the forest and cuddle session with Carter on the forest floor left him filthy, with twigs, dead leaves and moss clinging to his uniform. Sam hadn't fared any better, her hair was plastered to her forehead from sweat. Smudges of blood from a cut on her forehead marred her cheeks, dirt mixing with the scabbing wound. Not to mention that his t-shirt was kinda gross where she'd used it as a handkerchief.

He went straight to the bathroom and set her down on the low counter while he prepared a bath. The sunken pool ran the length of the bathroom, which was separated from the rest of his quarters by floor to ceiling opaque glass. The floor was made of smooth heated stone that was just warmer than his skin temperature. Like most Asgard decor, it was all done in shades of grey.

The bathing area had no steps, just a smooth incline where the floor ended and the pool begun. It could easily accommodate six people and with just a touch of a button, water would fill the entire basin.

The most spectacular thing though, was that the outer walls in the bathroom were again made entirely of glass and had a breathtaking view of the forest, mountains and lake in the distance. Whether deliberately or fortuitously, there were no Asgard neighbors with a direct view of the bath.

He'd ended many days in _Orilla_ soaking in the hot water after hours of work in the lab. He'd imagined himself with Sam each time and it was fitting that they end this particularly ugly day somewhere beautiful.

"That's amazing. I didn't even know how Asgard cleaned up."

Sam was looking more alert, her eyes bright and clear.

"I think this was created specifically for me," Jack replied as he tested the water temperature. He wiped his hand on his pants and stood up from his kneeling position.

"It's like in _Star Trek IV_ when they beamed the whales into the ship and the water just appeared… just like that."

"I'll take your word for it," he grinned.

"You've never seen _Star Trek_?" she asked in disbelief, raising her eyebrows.

"I didn't say that. I'm just a bit vague on the details, that's all," he said defensively.

She couldn't help but laugh at his wounded expression.

He sighed and reached out to cradle her face with his hand, his thumb absentmindedly stroking her smooth skin. They soaked each other in, just looking into each other's eyes refamiliarizing themselves with the feeling of being together.

Jack stroked her face one last time before letting his arm fall to his side. "Come on. Your bath's waiting."

He pulled her to her feet and led her to a large wash basin. "Controls are here." He demonstrated how to turn on the water in the absence of taps, and where he stored the toiletries, "... and the can's through there."

Jack made to leave her, but she held on to his hand.

"Aren't you going to join me?" she asked playfully.

His expression changed into a serious one. Slowly, his hand drifted down to the hem of her black sleeveless t-shirt and slipped under so that he was touching her bare skin. He spanned her narrow waist with his fingers and lazily stroked upwards, lifting her shirt up in the process. He stopped when his thumbs were just under her breasts. "You sure?"

Sam pulled his head down in response, threading her fingers through his short brown hair to capture his mouth with hers. The kiss started out hungry, her mouth devouring his, her tongue thrusting deeply into his mouth as if she wanted to crawl into his very being. Jack parried back until he was the one inside her, tasting her.

She broke away from him suddenly and quickly pulled off her top and bottoms to reveal her military-issue skivvies. Jack's still-clothed form struck as entirely unfair and she went to work first on his T-shirt, which she tossed somewhere behind her, then on the zipper of his pants.

Jack halted her eager fingers by pulling away slightly. "Why don't you let me do that… while you get in the water?" He motioned towards the steaming pool.

Sam ignored the gently swirling water and kept her eyes on Jack. She unashamedly took off her bra, very much aware of his burning gaze, and without hesitation dropped her underwear to her feet. Completely bared to him, she waited for Jack to remove the rest of his clothing, unwilling to turn away.

She wasn't taking no for an answer this time. It had been much too close... for both of them.

There might not another chance. This night could be it and she'd end up regretting not being with him because she let rules and regulations stand in the way.

Instead of unbuckling his pants and lowering the zip he'd approached her instead. He raised his right hand to her face. "I thought we agreed we wouldn't do this yet," Jack said without reproach. Just a gentle reminder of what they'd decided on.

She turned her head slightly and kissed his palm. "That was before I knew what I really wanted and found this wasn't it."

He knitted his eyebrows in confusion.

"'This' as in being constantly apart. Always looking over our shoulders to see who's out to get us next," she hastened to clarify. "We've made too many enemies out here."

"You mean _I've_ made too many enemies," he corrected. "Everyone likes you. It's _me_ they can't stand."

"Only because they're afraid of you, Jack. For the first time, they're facing someone they can't intimidate or beat down. It's your best and worse quality. You just can't stay down."

Jack's lips quirked at her apt description of him. "I guess being hard to kill is not a bad talent to have."

"I like to think of it as being good at staying alive," Sam replied.

While the floor was warm, the room felt a little chilly without a stitch on. The steaming water looked very inviting, and of all the places she'd imagined making love to Jack this was certainly unique. She loosely wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing their chests flush together. She felt him shiver at the sensation.

"You're making this very difficult, Carter," Jack warned her.

She smirked at his carefully chosen words. "Don't you mean _hard_?"

"I think you know exactly what I mean, Major." He pulled her closer until the gap between their bodies became nonexistent.

Her expression became determined. "I mean it, Jack. I'm done waiting. I'm flying to Washington when I get back and handing Hammond my resignation unless he gives me a viable alternative."

Jack let out a breath and buried his face where her shoulders and neck met. "I just don't know if I can do this without you, Carter," he spoke against her skin, muffling his voice. "But I'm also so completely in love with you I can't see straight."

"The only alternative is that we keep this quiet and lie to everyone." She felt him shake his head.

"That's not an alternative, that's a disaster waiting to happen."

"I know," she acknowledged. "But I needed to put it on the table."

Both their eyes were closed. They held on tightly, trusting each other to not let the other fall. Such was the level of surety between them.

"We said that we'd wait until Anubis was gone," she reminded him. "He's gone, Jack. For the first time we have the means to defend Earth because of you. What else are we waiting for?"

"Nothing," he replied. He thought of his heartbreak and anger earlier that day when he thought he'd lost her. "You're right. I'm done waiting too."

He trailed kisses along her shoulders and neck, making her shiver with pure want. She reached for his pants and this time he assisted her with their removal. He walked them over to the edge of the pool and pulled her into the deepest part which was chest deep.

They made love slowly, taking their time to fully take in each moment, each caress, each pleasurable sigh.

His lips on her body made her tremble with need. His long fingers touching the most intimate part of her showed him just how much she wanted him. He touched her with such reverence and love that it took her breath away.

Jack groaned aloud when he finally felt her hand on him. He'd imagined this moment so many times, but the reality of it was so much more. The water was still and clear, they could both see what she was doing to him. From the fullness of what she held, they both knew he was ready to take her. He kissed her once again before easily lifting her up above him and letting her guide him inside her heat.

Sam instantly felt lightheaded with pleasure. Her body had resisted for a moment, unfamiliar with this sort of intrusion. She'd always been curious how well they would fit together. Her imagination had not done him justice. His movements were unhurried, each push and pull deliberate. He let her gasps and sighs guide his hips, letting him know just where to concentrate his efforts.

It wasn't long until she was coming apart in his arms and on his body. She tightened around him and cried out his name in satisfaction, which he took as permission to give himself fully to her without restraint, unleashing the power he'd been so careful to hold back. She held him tight as he followed her over the precipice, helping him ride out the overwhelming sensations of completion.

The aftermath had them floating limply in the water. They'd reluctantly separated and Jack had gotten down to the practicalities of washing up.

He'd gently cleansed her short blonde locks with a soap he'd synthesized from the database. Sam had looked impressed with the results, joking that they could bring back a batch and sell it to a high end department store to fund their hockey team. He'd teased her back by asking if they could use her basement to invite friends and wrestle in a pool of Jello. By her giggling, he figured she'd gotten the reference and approved of his slight tweaking.

They could practically have stayed in the water without it ever cooling thanks to the alien pool construction, but Sam wanted to cuddle and Jack was keen to indulge her. Apart from making love to her, there was nothing he wanted to do more.

Jack wrapped them both up in thick grey towels and left her to finish cleaning up. Sam said something about her mouth tasting like a sewer. He disagreed; she tasted just fine, he thought with a smirk.

Despite the long and exhausting day, he felt energized. He figured that it was a combination of the adrenaline and his mixed-up physiology talking.

"Hey." He turned to see Sam standing in the middle of the room studying him curiously.

"You hungry?" he asked her. He'd been thinking about eating and figured she hadn't had anything in a while.

She shook her head. "Not really," she said yawning.

He abandoned the idea of food altogether and instead took her hand, leading her to the bed. She sat on her preferred side and tested the mattress with a tentative bounce.

"Hmm.." she murmured appreciatively.

"It's better than anything back home. I'm gonna ask Thor if we can bring it back with us."

Sam stretched out fully on top of the covers and let out a tired sigh. "I guess we're breaking all the rules now anyway. What's an alien mattress in the grand scheme of things?"

Jack pulled the covers back on his side of the bed and rolled Sam over it. He then did the same thing to her side and rolled her back.

"I see Janet's had a good influence on you. She'd be impressed you learned something from all those stays with her..." Sam's voice trailed off, realizing what she'd said.

He tossed the towel on the back of a chair and joined her under the duvet. He gathered her up in his arms, her bare back pressing all along his naked front.

"I'm going to ask Thor to help her," he whispered close to her ear. "I've looked it up, they can do it."

"But how did you-"

He tightened his arms around her, shaking his head. "I trust you with my life, Sam, but there are some things I can't share with you because they're not mine to share."

She was quiet for a moment, before finally nodding. "And I trust you. I know you'd tell me if you thought it was something I needed to know."

He kissed the skin just behind her ear. "Thank you, Sam… for understanding."

Their breathing slowly deepened and they both drifted off to sleep.

* * *

While Sam Carter slept deeply, safe in the arms of Jack O'Neill, another Sam Carter emerged from a metallic wall, blue eyes staring straight ahead, her hair and naked body covered with a clear gel-like substance.

The first thing that registered in her newly created mind was the Replicator Fifth welcoming her to her new life. She continued to stare unblinking past him, analyzing her new form much like a machine would perform a self-diagnostic.

Sam Carter, in any construct, was a quick learner. She discovered quickly how to conceal her thoughts from the rest of her brethren, including Fifth. It wasn't difficult to fool the naive machine who was without guile. She'd deceived him so easily in her previous human form, how much more so in this infinitely more complex shape?

Fifth had made her in the image of Sam Carter, with all the feelings and memories associated with the original. What he hadn't foreseen was that the original only felt pity and, eventually, disgust for him. This Carter felt it too; but because of what she was, the feelings were magnified ten-fold.

Fifth's ignorance would, in the end, cost him dearly.

* * *

**Well, guys, I hope that was worth waiting all those chapters for. It felt like the right moment (pardon the pun) for them to take ****_that _****step. I hope the descriptions didn't cross the 'M' line.**

**Ah, well, in the words of Tom Lehrer, "**_**All books can be indecent books, Though recent books are bolder, For filth (I'm glad to say) is in the mind of the beholder. When correctly viewed,**_ **_Everything is lewd..._****" etc. etc. **

**RepliCarter will be a slightly different antagonist in this story. She wants something that Sam has and she'll do anything to have it. **


	13. I Just Called To Say

**This chapter I'm laying some groundwork for a secondary '_Ship_ that we'll be exploring throughout the story. Let me know what you think of this one, because the last thing I want to do is turn off some readers who are only interested in the S/J segments of this fic. **

**In the end, while I do write mainly for myself, I respect the desires of my readers; this is what makes interactive communities like FF so great, readers do have an input and can sometimes influence where a story goes. If the overwhelming majority of my readers absolutely hate the direction I'm going, then call me on it, that's what the Review area is for. If you do like it, excellent, let me know as well and I'll probably do some outtakes featuring these characters. **

**A great example of a reader inspiring me to save a character is ****_Kahuna_****. So, ****_Kahuna_****, here's your promised miracle: **

* * *

For the first time in months, Cassandra Fraiser didn't feel the need to wake up at the crack of dawn in order to be at her mother's bedside. The overwhelming need to be at the hospital, just in case Janet chose that day to miraculously wake up, felt strangely absent. Her biggest fear for her adopted mother had been for Janet to open her eyes and discover that she was alone. It was a fear that was rooted from Cassie's traumatic childhood in which she had woken up and found that everyone around her had gone in a very permanent way.

It was a great testimony to Janet's character how well adjusted and strong Cassie grew up to be. None of her friends had ever clued in that the gregarious girl in front of them was the sole survivor of a genocide.

When her eyes finally opened to early morning sunshine, she remained curled up under the covers. There was no longer a need to drag herself out of bed for a quick shower then to don her usual ratty outfit of sweats and Uggs. Today she would lie in bed and think of the rest of her day.

She did just that and quickly became stumped. It was Wednesday and her family would be at work in the Mountain. Jack would be stuck in debriefings forever after spending three weeks with the Asgard, and having saved the world before that.

She laughed at the casualness in which she thought of her adopted uncle's feats. Although, she conceded, he probably thought of it as casually as her if not more. Cassie had only always known Jack the Hero. He'd always been someone extraordinary to her. The uncle with superpowers who gave her a dog.

She went back to her list of people she could call to hang out with and came up pitifully short. Sam would also be in debriefings. Daniel would be hanging about in those same briefings to satisfy his curiosity. Teal'c was visiting Rya'c, and Jonas - she smiled - Jonas was off doing something she could never repay him for. He was watching over her mom.

Her friends had all gone to college in different states. She'd parted amicably with Domenic when they'd split in Junior year and he was on the list of people she liked to hang out with, but he'd moved to Chicago to attend Northeastern.

Cassie suddenly felt terribly alone and left behind. She'd deferred her admission to pre-med at UCD in order to care for her mother. Sam had not approved of the decision because Janet wouldn't have. But Cassie had known from her mother's prognosis that if she did wake up, they would be facing long term care arrangements. As far as she was concerned, it had been the only option at the time.

Now that she'd received her miracle, she was at lost at what to do next. She couldn't start college until the next academic year and getting a job didn't really appeal. She supposed she could volunteer at the hospital which, funnily enough, felt like her second home. Everyone knew her there, from the orderlies and nurses to the top surgeons who'd sometimes come and sit with her at Janet's bedside to swap stories about Doc Fraiser.

It was the perfect solution. She'd get to spend her time somewhere where she hoped to work one day AND not be bored out of her mind.

A vibrating sound coming from her nightstand yanked her out of her reverie and solidly back to reality. She reached for her Blackberry, a graduation present from Sam and Jack, and saw that she had a text from Paul.

[_Heard you got your miracle. Happy for you._]

Coming from Paul, she knew he meant it. He was one of two people she'd told about her fears, the other being Jonas. The two men, had been her rock and salvation. One constantly beside her, and the other, thousands of miles away, but always willing to listen.

At the beginning, she'd felt that the only reason that the two guys stuck around out of pity or guilt. She knew in Paul's case, he'd felt directly responsible for Janet's condition. He'd been the one the Jaffa had been aiming at when the shot had strayed and hit her mother instead.

As for Jonas, he had such a caring heart and had his own history of guilt and need for repentance. He could easily relate to her due to their parallel experiences and she figured that's what had him coming religiously to keep her company.

It wasn't long until she sensed that the Langaran had actually developed a crush on her. They got along so well and he wasn't that much older in years. It would've been so easy, so comfortable. He wasn't exactly a chore to look at, as evidenced by the flirtatious looks the nurses at the hospital constantly threw at him. He was beyond smart, but not at all arrogant about it. He was the kind of guy you brought to your parents and would instantly become part of the family.

And that was the problem. He was family. He was part of the SGC alien menagerie and she thought of him more as a brother than a potential lover. When he hugged her and held her hand, her heart didn't flutter and her hands didn't sweat like it had at first for Domenic during those first few weeks when they'd gone out. That relationship had been a high school fling that had fizzled out fairly quickly when they'd discovered that they were better off as friends.

That spark that had been missing with Jonas… was now a raging blow torch with Paul.

When he'd kept his promise to keep in touch, she'd been at first surprised. People always said that didn't they? It was the equivalent of 'Have a nice summer' on yearbooks. A mere pleasantry, without substance. It said they didn't really know you, didn't really want to, but wanted to be nice.

When he made her laugh and actually responded in kind to her rambling emails, she'd felt something warm inside her.

He'd texted her to ask about her day and when her response had been, "_160 characters won't do it justice_" he'd actually called her. They'd talked for hours until his repeated yawning had become too frequent to ignore and she'd reluctantly let him go to bed. The three hour time difference sucked big time.

For a time, she fooled herself into thinking that what she felt was just friendship. In the absence of her own friends, she rationalized, she would naturally cling to any hand that offered friendship.

But when Daniel had caught her humming one morning while they waited for their drinks at a coffee shop and asked her who the new guy was, she'd blushed like an overripe tomato and stuttered a denial. There was no way she was sharing that sort of thing with Daniel of all people.

It was then that she really started to consider that her feelings went beyond innocent flirtation. By the end of the day, she'd had to concede that she actually wanted to more than just emails and texts, but an outright, adult relationship that probably involved _gulp_ sex.

Janet had once remarked that growing up with two strong, logical, scientific-minded women as her role models had made her too analytical of her personal relationships (Hence the quick demise of Domenic).

Her mother's sage advice were along the lines of, "_There are times when you can't apply logic; for those times you just have to follow your heart._" Sam had been present and had looked incredibly uncomfortable. Two months later, she was effectively living with Jack.

She'd tossed and turned all night weighing up the pros and cons of a relationship with Paul. The first con was, 'What if he doesn't feel the same about me?'. The pro, of course, was 'What if he does?'.

There was quite a difference in age - sixteen years - and he lived on the other side of the country. The latter was definitely a con, while the age gap was a bit more of a grey area.

While her family liked him well enough, he wasn't part of their inner circle and she doubted they would approve of the age gap.

A few more cons had popped up, and she'd started to feel morose.

She'd come to the conclusion that it would all come to nothing, and most likely end with her heart broken. But in the end no matter how much she tried to apply logic to her feelings, it always failed to convince her that Paul was a bad idea. Something inside told her, just like that something that said to keep holding on to Janet, that if she let go of this, of him, she'd regret it for the rest of her life.

It was a melodramatic thought and Paul wasn't the sort to get messed up in that sort of drama. He was more of an international and galactic negotiator of political angst.

He'd once summarized his job as being the poor bastard locked up in a room for days at a time, with the most arrogant and long winded politicians from various countries that you weren't allowed to insult or shoot.

In those words exactly. She'd kept all his texts and emails. That should have clued her in earlier on that her feelings weren't entirely platonic. Those were love letters of the internet age.

Cassie tapped out a quick reply before hitting SEND and decided that today she was going to be lazy. Stay home, maybe watch some game shows and eat take out. There weren't any chores to be done thanks to the cleaning company Sam hired after Janet got hurt, so she didn't feel guilty at all for not tidying.

Her phone beeped again and seeing that it was from Paul, her grin was automatic.

[_I've got a surprise for you. Actually, for everybody. Hmm. Have said too much...x P_]

Her eyebrows went up to her hairline at the intriguing message.

* * *

When Daniel came home to his own house for what felt like months, carrying a pizza box and a side of wings, the last person he expected to see sitting in his living room drinking a Guinness, was Jack O'Neill. The only aspect that didn't surprise him was the Guinness part, since the only reason he had those in the house was for when Jack came around.

"Hell-o," he said tentatively, narrowing his eyes behind his glasses.

"Sam kicked me out," Jack said by way of explanation. "...of my own house."

"O-kay," Daniel said, carefully moderating his tone. "_Why_?"

"Because she doesn't want me take the job."

He looked at Jack with a confused expression. "What job?"

"Head of the SGC," Jack replied before taking a swig of his beer bottle.

"I'm sorry, _what_?" Daniel absentmindedly dropped the food he was carrying on his coffee table uncaring of the leather bound books and open notes littering the surface. He sat down across the table from Jack. "I thought you just said 'head of the SGC'…"

Jack let out a deep breath before answering. "They're promoting me. I told them I'd think about it."

"Think about it? What? Jack! That's… that's, I mean are you nuts? Of course you'll accept. You totally deserve it after all you've done for this planet. Why wouldn't Sam approve of this? She more than anyone should realize what a great achievement this is… Brigadier General Jack O'Neill… this is big!" Daniel had leaned forward during his spiel, elbows on his knees, his hands gesticulating wildly.

Jack in contrast, sat unmoving, nursing the beer bottle that was dripping condensation on his dark jeans. He stared morosely at the dark bottle, totally unenthused by his news.

"Jack?" Daniel looked at his friend with concern when he didn't get a reply.

Jack fiddled with his bottle some more then looked up at Daniel. "She realized that if I take the promotion, there would be nowhere at the SGC she could work without being under my command."

Daniel's mouth made a silent O. He instantly saw the dilemma that had upset Sam.

"So she said not to take the job." It seemed completely out of character of her, but…

"Not in those words. She kinda got all silent and sulky. Told me she needed to be alone and closed the bedroom door."

"I see." Actually, he didn't. Daniel frowned. "Sam never actually said that she didn't want you to take the job."

Jack shrugged. "It was kinda implied. It's totally a woman thing."

Daniel sighed and rolled his eyes. "_Jaaaack_. When has Sam ever been a typical woman? Has she ever done anything that would make you think she'd prioritize her career over yours?"

Jack paused with his fiddling. "Not that I recall."

"That would be a big fat 'no' then," said Daniel. He reached over and lifted the cardboard lid off the large pizza, pulled out a slice of the gooey cheesy mess and quickly took a big bite.

"You gonna share some of that?" Jack motioned at the box with his chin.

"Only if you get your head out of your ass and promise to go home," Daniel mumbled, his mouth full of pizza.

Jack grabbed a slice and took a healthy bite. He chewed thoughtfully before asking Daniel another question. "Why'd she kick me out then?"

Daniel finished off his first slice and reached for another one. "Beats me."

Jack looked at him askance. Before he could reach for a retort, the house phone rang. Daniel caught it on the middle of the second ring.

"Daniel Jackson." His gaze went to Jack as he listened to the person on the other line. "Okay. Sure. I'll tell him. Take care. Bye." He disconnected the call and sat back down on the couch.

"That was Sam. She wants you to come home when you're ready."

Jack shoved the rest of the slice food into his mouth and shamelessly wiped his fingers on his jeans before standing up to grab his jacket. With a practiced swig he drained the rest of his beer and pointed to the door. "Come on, you need to drive me home."

"Jack! I had plans -" Daniel gestured hopelessly at the food and his notes.

Jack sighed as if Daniel was being unreasonable. He shrugged on his jacket and repackaged the pizza and wings.

"Grab your stuff, you can do this at our place. This way, I don't have to tell you tomorrow what happened with Sam."

* * *

The loud rumbling engine of Jack's truck announced his arrival even before the gas guzzler pulled into the driveway. Sam rushed to the window to confirm that he'd arrived safely. She almost smiled when she saw Daniel hop down from the driver seat carrying a stack of books and paper.

Her eyes went to Jack next and she saw that he had a pizza box under one arm. They must've been having dinner when she'd called, judging by the speed at which they arrived from the time of her phone call to Daniel. Not to mention the small gobs of cheese and grease visible on the side of Jack's trousers.

She beat them to the porch, yanking the heavy wooden door open in her rush to hug Jack. Sam ignored the crunching leaves under her feet that had blown up from the autumn covered lawn and held on tight to the frozen man wrapped in her arms.

When she'd come out of the bedroom to find that he'd left, she'd gone into a panic realizing she'd driven him away when she'd only just gotten him back. She'd contemplated getting in her car to look for him when it occurred to first check with Daniel. The two had become extremely close since Daniel had agreed to cover for them.

"Well, this is a nice surprise," Jack quipped. He returned the hug with one arm, the other still holding the pizza box and wings.

"Um, guys, can we take this inside please?" Daniel was looking around furtively, afraid that someone would take note of the compromising position their friends were in. The way Sam was clinging on to her CO was far from platonic.

Sam immediately let go, self-consciously rubbing her cardigan covered arms and smiled at Daniel in apology.

Once inside the house and the rest of the world behind the closed door, Sam was again at Jack's side, their heads pressed together, whispering words of apology to each other.

"I'm sorry, Sam. I won't take the job if that's what you want. I'll retire. I'll-"

"Jack, no! That's not what I want. I'm sorry I shut you out. It's just… I'm still new at this. I'm not used to sharing the decision making with someone. I was trying so hard to figure out what to do. I forgot that it's no longer just up to me."

"I don't know what to do, Carter. The last thing I want is for you to leave the SGC. The only way I can see this working is if I refuse the promotion and tell them to give the job to someone else. I'm happy to continue leading SG-1 and you can work in the labs like we discussed-"

"I'm going to Washington and asking Hammond to transfer me to NTTR," she blurted out.

Jack suddenly let go of her in shock. "What?"

"There's an opening for head of R&D. They've asked me before, but I declined. It's now under the aegis of Homeworld Security. I checked," Sam explained.

"You want to move to Nevada?" he asked uncomprehendingly.

"Only for a few months. Once I've established myself, I'll ask General Hammond to move most of my work back at the SGC. I'll be back there, but still be reporting to him instead of you. It's the only solution we have, Jack."

He backed up and turned slightly away from her, his hands pressing his face in thought. Despite his mind being able to work at far greater speeds than before, he still couldn't come up with a better solution than what Carter had just presented to him. She was brilliant like that.

On the way back to his house, sitting in the passenger side of his truck while Daniel drove, he'd readied himself to call Dr. Weir and tell her that he couldn't do it. Sam's happiness was paramount and if that meant torpedoing his chances at General (they rarely offered the chance twice), then so be it. With his record of repeated insubordination, he never really expected to go beyond his current rank. No matter how many times you saved the world, promotions were still political and he'd pissed off too many of those types even to be considered if they had any say. He could content himself with knowing that he'd actually made it, and go on with his life with Sam.

"You know I'm right," she reiterated. He looked up from his shoes and saw that she'd regained her composure and kick ass Major Carter was back in the house.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

Sam shook her head a smile teased her lips. "It's bad form for the new leader of the SGC to take a holiday so soon after being promoted."

"Is that so?" Jack asked, now grinning.

Daniel stuck his head out from the kitchen. "We all good, then?"

Sam and Jack shared a look before nodding at the same time.

Daniel clasped his hands together. "Excellent!" He fully emerged from the kitchen and grabbed Jack's shoulder and pulled him in a manly hug, with Jack quickly pulling away.

"I guess congratulations are in order," Daniel said with a smile. "We need to celebrate. I'll call Teal'c and tell him to come over. You guys order more pizza."

* * *

Pete Shanahan dropped the binoculars on the passenger seat, looking quite disturbed at what he had seen.

He swore when he realized he'd plopped down the expensive piece of equipment on an opened box of warm, melty chocolate donuts. _Ah, crap, he'd never live this down back at the precinct_.

He abandoned the clean up when he ran out of tissues and his hands still came away sticky. His thoughts went back to the lit up house across the street.

He hadn't made detective by adding two and two together and coming up with five. He knew what he'd seen. The only question now in his mind, was what what to do with the information he had and whether it was of use to anyone.

* * *

**I just want to say Thank You to all those who continue to support this story. To my reviewers, followers, and those who favourited PD: You guys are awesome.**


	14. Once More, With Feeling

**Hey folks. Thank you to those who shared their thoughts on last chapter. Opinion seems to be divided, but no outright objections. Some of you don't care much for other 'ships, others think it enhances the story, while some were concerned about the age gap between C/P. All valid points, and I've taken them all on board. **

**pdxskigirl even helped me realize an error in C/P's ages, making the age difference even greater! Yikes. I've since corrected Ch.13: Sixteen years between Cassie and Paul, just like S/J.**

**A small WARNING for this one: Violence and some Gore. **

* * *

P6X-599 was known to its inhabitants as Remoc. In Goa'uld it meant 'End of a Journey', thusly named perhaps because of its location in the outer edges of Goa'uld territory. The remoteness of the planet was enough of an inconvenience that only a minor Goa'uld bothered to claim it as theirs, and Amaterasu rarely visited this part of her domain.

The shimmering puddle of the event horizon winked out behind the Jaffa, trailing the three _Tau'ri_ companions whose backs he was watching. His steps were cautious due to the uneven ground that used to be a bricked path but was now reduced to broken stones and mortar.

All around them signs of recent destruction scarred the structures that embraced the path to the_ Chapa'ai_. The city had been built in a crescent shape around the great circle so that Jaffa could look down from the hills where they lived, and worship towards the doorway of their god.

The air in parts of the city was still thick with smoke. Combined with the red horizon that was caused by the heavy concentration of iron oxide dust in the atmosphere, Remoc gave the appearance of a burning world. And indeed, sections of the city still burned from defeat.

The battleground was still fresh with blood of those who had fought valiantly but in vain. It was amongst these ruins that a single being stood alone observing the new arrivals to the ruined city. With sharp cold eyes, the being zeroed in on the leader of the group and regarded him with a starving look.

_Do what you must._

The group divided into twos before fanning out in opposite directions, weapons at the ready. The Jaffa went with the woman and the other man with the leader. The being did not hesitate to follow the first group.

_Make it quick. You must not hesitate._

With a purposeful stride, the being stalked the Jaffa and the woman who'd disappeared into a building where the ceremonial duties were performed. Inside, acolytes still lay where they had fallen, their useless weapons beside them. Fires burned, with tapestries and ancient wooden tables as fuel.

The bodies strewn about the stone floors were mere obstructions to be stepped over, and when necessary, stepped on. There were no feelings associated to the loss of life that permeated the entire planet. There was only the goal, the mission, the drive to conquer, and feed.

The woman and the Jaffa had gone in separate directions to better cover the interior of the scarred structure. This made them an easier target. The death of the woman could be savored… and prolonged.

Teal'c managed to get off a few shots, and the astonishment on his face when the bullets found their mark and his pursuer kept coming, was almost comical. When she stepped out of the shadows and recognition flared in his eyes, she basked in the moment before extinguishing his light.

She could see the look of wonderment and betrayal as life leaked out of his chest cavity where she'd driven the sharp, gleaming object that used to be her hand, into his heart.

_You are doing well. Continue._

The long knife retracted and she swept from the room, not even looking behind her as the thud of the Jaffa falling dead on the floor reverberated in the cavernous space.

Major Carter was in the main worship area scanning the alcoves for survivors when the beam from her P90 Maglite illuminated a face that was identical to her own.

"Hello, Sam."

Carter hesitated, and her twin grabbed her around the neck, lifting her off her feet so that she dangled from the ground. She made choking noises as her doppelganger regarded her with curiosity, as if examining an insect that she'd picked up from the ground.

As Carter started lose consciousness, she was suddenly dropped to the ground. She gasped desperately for air, her windpipe severely bruised from the manhandling.

"Who- who…" she whispered unable to continue.

"I am you. I will be you," Carter's twin uttered calmly. "Once you are gone."

_Do not linger. Finish it._

The doppelganger flinched at the order. Her eyes narrowing at the disembodied voice.

"_Please_," Carter gasped out. She backed away using her hands. This drew her twin's attention and the far off expression on the killer's face changed to menacing. She took a step toward Carter, her hands reaching out as if to help her up, but in the last moment, grasped the major's head and twisted it with a sickening snap.

The doppelganger carelessly dropped Carter's body, stepping over her mirror image to exit the building, and search for the other half of SG-1.

* * *

She deliberately sought Daniel Jackson first. The archaeologist was distracted by yet another cultural find, this time a fresco depicting Jaffa worshippers prostrating themselves to a goddess, and didn't hear her soft approach.

She appeared next to him, making Daniel jump, and then sigh in relief when he recognized the face staring at him.

"Geez, Sam. You scared the hell out of me."

"Samantha," she corrected.

Daniel frowned in confusion. "What?"

Samantha grabbed Daniel's P90, and spun him around so that he was in front of her, one arm wrapped around his neck, the other pointing the weapon at O'Neill who was aiming his own weapon at her.

"Carter! What the hell are you doing?" he demanded angrily.

_Finish them!_

Samantha was completely riveted on O'Neill. She drank him in, her lips parting in desire at the sight of the man she'd dreamed of since coming to life. This was the first time she'd seen his face outside her memories and she was inexplicably drawn-

"Finish him!" Fifth appeared at her side. He leaned forward aggressively to emphasize his point. "You must break with your old life for your new life to begin."

Her eyes met Jack's. His finger tightened on the trigger. He was a marksman, an assassin in his earlier days. She knew that he could shoot her without harming his friend. He was hesitating because of his love for her.

Samantha dropped her weapon and let Daniel go. He collapsed on the floor, fighting for air. Jack lowered his weapon and cautiously approached her, but before he could take another step, he disappeared along with the rest of Remoc, to be replaced by the familiar metallic replicator blocks of her day-to-day existence.

"Why did you hesitate?" Fifth gritted out his question beside her ear. "O'Neill is nothing but a liar. He taught us betrayal and hate. You must not feel sorry for him."

"I do not," Samantha replied. It was true. Jack was not someone you felt sorry for. He was strong. Cunning. Intelligent. He was not a fool like Fifth.

She looked straight ahead unblinking, her expression, stoic.

Fifth calmed himself before speaking. "Then we will begin again. This time, do not disappoint me."

* * *

Sam Carter stood alone in the SGC conference room observing from above the going ons in the gateroom. She watched as Siler's team of engineers took down the podium and flags that remained from the promotions ceremony.

In her hands, she fiddled with the gold oakleaf insignia that Walter had returned to her. Jack himself had placed the silver ones at her shoulders once General Hammond, and Dr. Weir had officially introduced him to the base as their new commander.

Her own promotion had been a complete surprise. By the look on Jack's face when he'd faced her, he hadn't known when they'd left their house that morning. He'd been equally proud, and uncertain.

For her, the new rank changed nothing. While it was a validation of all her hard work and commitment to the Air Force, it had ceased to be the only thing that defined her. She would happily remain at her current rank if that meant having a life with Jack and the rest of the family they had made, and would make together. Lt. Colonel Samantha O'Neill sounded pretty damned good to her.

Jack and General Hammond had disappeared into the former's office to retrieve what she thought was Hammond's old chair. She might have misheard since it seemed such an absurd request.

She was waiting for them to finish whatever it was they were discussing in order to speak to General Hammond regarding her future at the SGC. By surprising them with his arrival that morning to personally confirm Jack's appointment on behalf of the Joint Chiefs, Hammond had saved her a trip to Washington.

Sam both dreaded and anticipated what was probably the most important discussion she would ever have regarding her career. The weight of her brand new rank felt heavy on her shoulders, which was entirely ridiculous since the weight difference between the insignia in her hand and the ones attached to her uniform were minute. She caught herself calculating the approximate volume and relative densities of the insignia had they been real silver and gold to confirm this hypothesis, and realized that she'd self-nerd-sniped. She sighed in annoyance, knowing that her thoughts were babbling. She tended to do that when she felt anxious.

A knocking sound startled Sam out of her thoughts. She turned to see Jack behind the glass window of his office waving for her to come in.

Sam couldn't help but smile at the familiar sight of George Hammond sitting behind the big desk instead of Jack. It felt like old times. Usually the General was tearing Colonel O'Neill a new one for some stupid indiscretion off world. Like that time he'd manage to insult a whole planet. Which, come to think of it, didn't much narrow down the occasion…

"At ease, Colonel."

She saw that Jack was already casually lounging on a chair before she realized that Hammond was actually referring to her and not to the newly minted Brigadier General. It would take some getting used to.

Her posture relaxed in obedience and she accepted the seat that Hammond pointed to.

"I want to get straight to the point, Colonel. Jack and I've spoke about this eventuality."

Sam raised her eyebrows and Hammond smiled in a paternal way that always endeared him to his subordinates.

"Perhaps not in so much detail, but the fact is, I've been made aware that your relationship have strayed into the more personal, no longer strictly that of CO and 2IC. I chose to keep silent at the time because it wouldn't have been at the best interest of this planet, and this administration to lose either of you." Hammond paused to think through his next words. "That still holds true today."

"Sir?" Sam glanced at Jack who was studiously studying his dress shoes and turned her eyes back to the old General.

Hammond answered her unspoken question. "Jack told me everything. He didn't feel he deserved the promotion after breaching the protocols of professional conduct as befitting an Air Force officer."

They both looked at Jack who was playing with the metal clip on his tie. Hammond continued on when the younger General didn't even look up. "I disagreed. I believe there were extenuating circumstances at the time and that it could all be chalked up to alien influence-"

"Which of course, I told him, would be a _big fat lie_!" Jack interrupted. He finally ceased fiddling and was looking at Hammond with annoyance on his face. "That whole incident with Woolsey was before I took the download-"

"Woolsey?" Sam interjected. She looked at both men in confusion. "What does that man have to do with this?"

Jack shrugged and waved his right hand in casual dismissal. "He kinda saw us in a lip lock or something at the infirmary…" Sam gasped. Jack shook his head. "No big deal, Carter. He kept his mouth shut."

"Oh, God…" Sam closed her eyes in mortification.

Jack reached out and touched her arm. She flinched and quickly glanced at Hammond.

"Calm down, Carter. That's an order," Jack said. He let go of her arm once she opened her eyes, holding her gaze. "I told the General all about your plan and he agrees that it's probably the only solution. Knowing you, it most likely is."

"I'm sure everyone at the SGC will be sad to see you go," Hammond told her, kindly.

"Then you're approving it?" she asked in astonishment. She saw the General nod his bald head.

"I had no other choice." He indicated Jack with a nod. "General O'Neill threatened to retire, leaving the SGC without a commander. While your contribution to this facility cannot be understated, his leadership is invaluable right now and we cannot afford to lose him at this moment."

"Yes, sir." Sam acknowledged. She grinned at Jack's uncomfortable grimace. He'd never been good at accepting compliments.

"Off the record," Hammond pushed on. "I know how difficult these past few years have been for both of you. The personal sacrifices you have made for the sake of this world…" the General shook his head. "If it were up to me I'd willingly turn a blind eye and tell you to carry on discreetly. But it isn't and I know that you're both too honorable for that."

He looked at Sam and Jack with his piercing blue eyes. "I asked General O'Neill to give me a few weeks to sort something out. I have someone in mind to fill your role as leader of SG-1, but in the mean time I'll need you to go on as if we've never had this conversation."

"Understood, sir." Sam and Jack both replied.

He leaned back on his chair and addressed Jack. "I know that I don't have to tell you, Jack, that as the new leader of this facility you will need to conduct yourself in a manner that is above reproach. It would be very bad for discipline if those under your command perceive favoritism towards any group or individual."

Jack raised his hand to forestall Hammond from continuing. "You're right, sir. You don't. Carter and I have been doing this a long time. We know what's at stake and that it's far bigger than us."

The old man gave a brief nod. "Very well. We won't speak of it again." He placed both hands on the desk and pushed himself up. "I'm expected back in Washington tomorrow morning. I've asked Major Davis to remain here to handle the Amran delegation," he said to Jack with a knowing look.

Jack grimaced at the thought of playing negotiator. "Have I told you lately, sir, just how much I respect, and…" he made gestures with his hands, "*love* you?"

Hammond chuckled. He stepped from behind the desk and extended his right hand, which Jack shook. "Just get Walter to send my chair back with Major Davis."

Sam smiled in confusion, but nodded when the General exited the office to catch his flight back to DC. Once he was gone, she turned to Jack who was perched on top of his desk facing her. "His chair?" she asked in an amused tone.

Jack shrugged. "He says he misses this one," he said indicating the swivel chair behind him. "I kinda agree. I think it's got two-star butt cheeks imprinted on it. I'll need a new one to properly break in to my own a-"

"You threatened to quit?" Sam interrupted him mid-sentence.

He closed his mouth and merely nodded.

"Why?"

Once again, he shrugged. "He might have said no. I figured it would have more impact if I made it known how serious I was about all this. It worked."

Sam went over to the door and closed it.

Jack crossed his arms in front of him. "Closing the door," he said carefully.

"I need to talk to you about something, and I don't want to be overheard," Sam said, leaning back against the door.

He raised his eyebrows, and motioned for her to speak. "Shoot."

"It's about what General Hammond said."

"He said a lot of things," Jack pointed out unhelpfully.

"About the appearance of favoritism towards SG-1," she went on, ignoring his commentary. "Are you sure you can be impartial? General Hammond once told me that despite all efforts, he can't help but feel closer to certain individuals under his command, and he's been at this a long time."

"You're saying I won't be able to do it," Jack said, without condemnation.

"You're in love with me. Daniel and Teal'c are your best friends. How do you square those circles?" Sam argued her point.

"I can't," he confessed with calm voice. "This is precisely the reason why the frat regs exist. As the commander of this base I can't give you preferential treatment. I have to treat you the same way as I treat Reynolds, Dixon, Ferretti, and all the other team leads. Just like I have to treat Daniel and Teal'c as I would Doctor Lee and that… what's his name… Fel-jer!" he said, mangling Jay Felger's name.

"And you're okay with that," Sam stated.

"_Carter_," he said forcefully. "You know the answer to that. I've felt feelings for you for how long? I've had to zat you twice, send you into dangerous situations day in and day out… It's what we do. The only difference now is, I can't personally rush to your rescue, and protect you out there. I'll have to trust others to do that now," he stood up and approached her. "And that- that's going to be really hard," he said as he cupped her face.

Her lips trembled, and her eyes swam at his words. She raised her hand to his cheek, stroking his five o'clock shadow that rasped with the movement of her thumb. "Only for the next few weeks. I trust General Hammond to come through for us, then I'll be safe in Nevada."

"You might not want to be on the sidelines once you get back out there with your own command."

Sam rolled her eyes. "You know as well as I do that being a combat officer was not what I signed up for," she gently reminded him. "I did it all these years because I knew I could make a difference. More than anything, I wanted to see what was out there. Now that I have, I actually want to work on the things we found. But most of all, I want to start living my life." She tightened her hold on him when she said the last part.

Jack's expression turned serious. "Does this mean I can pre-order that cake?"

Sam let out an unlady-like snort.

"Seriously, Carter. You gotta order these things months in advance. We haven't even discussed venues, let alone centerpieces…"

* * *

**I'm ending this chapter on a happy note since it started so violently. What do you think so far of 'Samantha'? I'm writing her a bit differently from Canon as I explained to one of my reviewers (Hey Yol! *hehe*). A bit more sympathetic, but sociopathic at the same time. Let me know if I'm doing well so far. **


	15. How to Save a Life

**To those who've been wondering about Janet, this chapter resolves that particular mystery, but begs more questions than it answers... Thanks to those who shared their thoughts on RepliCarter. We'll be mostly on Earth for the next few chapters before the off world action kicks off. **

* * *

It has been observed that the human brain has an amazing capacity to suppress traumatic experiences. Most accident victims tend to blank out the event, only remembering what happened leading up to the accident, and then the next thing they remember is suddenly waking up in a hospital or ambulance.

It was while assigned to the 59th Medical Wing at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas that Janet first encountered this phenomenon. An airman had come in conscious after a motor vehicle versus pedestrian accident. The young man had been walking back to the base when a pickup mounted a kerb, and clipped him, propelling him to the sidewalk face first.

When interviewed by local law enforcement, he struggled to recall anything before or during the accident. It was as if his brain had wiped the entire painful event from his mind, despite never losing consciousness.

She'd since treated many more patients with similar experiences. She took it for granted that most of them would never remember, and saw it as a feature of human biology that allowed the body to move on from the stress of pain and injury. It was only now that she could intimately relate to her patients' experiences.

Most of P3X-666 had been a blur. They'd stepped into a warzone once her team emerged from the gate. There had been a lot of running, shouting, the deafening sounds of automatic gunfire and the stink of cordite.

Bullets and staff weapon fire showered around them as they made their escape with Simon Wells on a field gurney. She recalled Paul Davis urging them to the gate as he laid down suppressive fire on the Jaffa positions. What she couldn't remember was the agonizing burning sensation of a staff weapon wound. She'd treated enough of them to know how much they hurt. She didn't remember falling into the event horizon, or hitting her head on the other side. There was no recollection of the weeks she spent effectively brain dead, or the days that followed leading her to a whole other galaxy.

All those missing memories had only been recounted to her by Jonas, who had been there holding her hand when she woke up to her new existence.

She turned away from the darkening vista of trees and mountains to study the back of her hand. It looked smooth and unblemished, unlike the one she'd last seen when she'd gone on that fateful mission.

She clenched her hands into fists to stop them from trembling. By all accounts she shouldn't be here. Her life would have effectively ended that day if Nature had been allowed to take its course. All her adult professional life she'd interfered with that natural progression, pulling airmen and soldiers back from the brink and giving them a new lease on life. It was ironic, really, that a part of her considered unnatural what had been done to preserve her life.

If it had been Cassie in her place, would she really have chosen differently? If her beloved daughter had been the one on the verge of death, would she not have done everything possible to save her? She thought back many years to when she held a gun on Nirrti, and got her answer.

The love and affection she felt for Cassandra was as great as if she'd been the one who'd carried the girl in her womb and gave birth to her. In her mind there had ceased to be a difference. Cassie was her daughter regardless of biology.

She could only imagine what her almost dying had done to her daughter. From what Jonas had told her, Cassie had been with her every day. She'd fought hard to keep her alive until other-worldly help came calling.

Janet smiled, proud of her daughter's determination and strength.

It would take time, but she would adjust to this. She was a scientist above all, and she knew that this wasn't really any different from what the human body did every day on a cellular level. Her mind was still the same. The Asgard had perfected that particular technique and she had nothing to worry about on that account.

By the time she looked up again darkness had set in, and the lights in her quarters had automatically turned on. The windows had become like a mirror, and she saw a younger woman staring back at her.

She snorted in amusement at the long dark wavy hair that fell way past her shoulders.

God, she hadn't had such long hair since before she entered the Academy. It made her feel so young, and feminine. Even as a non-combat officer, she'd adopted the shorter style that women in the AF tended to go for. Somewhere along the years she'd lost the person in the reflection, and the sense of freedom that came with her.

There had been no one since her pig of an ex-husband had decimated her confidence in the opposite sex. The fact that all her friends were in a similar situation had done nothing to convince her to take another chance at love.

She thought of Emmett Bregman. He'd been clearly interested, and she'd been flattered. He wasn't in the military, so no rules would be broken should she explore something with him. He still wore his wedding ring though, and that made her uncomfortable. He'd said it was purely sentimental, but she had her doubts. The last thing she wanted to enter into was a relationship with someone who was still grieving over a lost love.

* * *

She woke up the next morning ready to face whatever the Asgard had to throw at her. It seemed her new life had a price tag, and it involved helping her saviors survive instinction. Why they thought she could offer up anything, when they had vastly superior knowledge of genetics as well as technology, was beyond her. But they had asked for help, and as a doctor she had made an oath to help those who were suffering.

Thor introduced her to Silje and Heimdall. It seemed they were good friends of O'Neill, and had been working with him to find a solution to their cloning problem.

"Are you sure we're talking about_ Jack_ O'Neill here?" she asked, only half joking.

"He arrived at the idea we are currently exploring. He has left us with the knowledge and the means to implement it, but we still need further assistance," Silje explained in a voice pitched higher than Thor's. Janet assumed this was because Silje was female.

"And you think I can help?" She pointed at herself in disbelief.

"Heimdall and I will explain the methods we have developed. Then you may decide if you wish to assist us. Your companion Jonas Quinn has already agreed."

She raised her eyebrows at that. Agreed to what, exactly?

It took the whole day for her even to understand the basics of what the Asgard were working on. The technology and science behind the whole thing completely blew her mind. The things they could do, the things she could learn… There was no way she could refuse. Especially when Silje sweetened the deal by offering to share Asgard medical advancements and technology with the SGC.

As the CMO of the base, she would be in charge of implementing, and instructing her people on the use of the alien tech. The lives they could save, the diseases they could cure, tempted her beyond her natural caution. The Asgard wanted so little; in return they would give so much.

She felt the weight of the world on her shoulders, and wondered if this was how Hammond, and O'Neill felt on a daily basis. Their every decision affected so many, and a single mis-step could aversely affect the future of the entire planet.

She so wanted to call on her old commander, and ask for his sage advice. But in the end, she knew he would say this was a personal matter that didn't fall under the policy umbrella of the Air Force. It was up to her, and no one else.

When she approached Silje the next day, she informed the Asgard that she would help them in whatever way she could. Not because of what they had to provide in return, but because it was the right thing to do.

"Does it feel weird?" Jonas asked her once she sat down with her lunch tray in what now served as their dining room. The table was a long, opaque slab of glass-like material surrounded by comfy wing chairs in a tasteful shade of grey.

The room was large with a high ceiling, and like most of the structures in Orilla the outer walls were made of glass. The floor was like black marble that did not reflect light. As the Asgard didn't dine, Janet assumed this room was set up to accommodate them.

"What's weird?" she asked after getting herself comfortable.

"What we've agreed to do," Jonas answered. He spooned a mouthful of mashed synthesized potatoes in his mouth, and chewed thoughtfully.

Janet shrugged, and speared a grape tomato with her fork. "General O'Neill came up with it, so it's bound to be weird."

Jonas laughed, nodding. "I _knew_ the last download wasn't normal, I knew it," he crowed, using his spoon to point at her. "It all makes sense now. Messing around with someone's DNA was bound to result in something unexpected. I mean, look at what happened to me and Cassie."

"They asked about her, you know," Janet revealed. She studied her salad, moving around the various fruit and vegetables with her fork.

Jonas frowned. "Cassie?"

"Yep. Her advanced DNA make her an ideal subject to use a sample from."

Jonas blushed. Janet caught the embarrassed look on the young Langaran's face and put two and two together. She took a bite of her salad to hide her grin.

"She's, um, she's certainly special," he said, trying to be casual in his observation. It was clear he was frantically trying to find a way to backtrack without insulting Cassie in the process.

Janet raised her eyebrows, and made herself look stern. "What exactly are your intentions towards my daughter, Mr Quinn?"

Jonas visibly gulped and put down his spoon. He smiled half-heartedly, flashing the deep dimples on both cheeks. "No intentions, Doc. She doesn't feel that way," he said, shrugging in defeat.

Janet's expression softened. "I'm sorry," she told him with sincerity.

He looked down sadly. "She's a good friend, though. That's enough. I want her to be happy even if that's with someone else."

She paused mid-chew, her utensil hovering over plate. "Someone else?" she asked curiously.

Jonas moved his head in the affirmative. "She didn't say anything, but I could tell she had feelings for someone."

Janet bit her lip. "Any idea who?" She hated being a snoopy parent. Cassie was, after all, an adult. She was allowed to have her own life without her mother's interference, but Janet hoped that their relationship was close enough that it allowed her at least to be told what was going on.

"No idea." Jonas continued on his meal with gusto. Nothing seemed to ever bring him down, not even heartbreak. She wished she had the same sort of positive attitude towards life.

She thought of Cassie, and silently castigated her daughter for rejecting the Langaran. Any woman would be lucky to have him. He was such an easy person to get along with.

They finished their meal, and went back to the labs. Heimdall and Silje were studiously running simulations when they arrived. The two Asgard scientists actually looked animated as they worked, exchanging their analyses as the simulations yielded more data. In the meantime Janet and Jonas read up as much as they could on the procedures involved to better inform themselves of what was to happen.

"The simulations have proved promising. I believe we can now begin implementation."

"Oh, boy," Janet said under her breath. It was all moving so fast. Back on Earth, this sort of experimentation would take years to progress from hypothesis to a formal trial of the procedure.

She glanced at Jonas who was grinning from ear to ear. He was clearly excited to begin. He'd been a scientist in his homeworld, and she knew that he'd been part of some, at least by Earth's standards, dubious weapons research.

"How long until we know it's working?" she asked Heimdall.

"In a few hours," Heimdall replied.

Her eyes widened at his answer. "That fast?"

"We will be using a localized time distortion field in which to grow the cells." Heimdall pointed at a clear dome inside a glassed-in chamber separate from the rest of the lab. The clear half-sphere was atop a cylindrical platform protruding from the floor.

Jonas shook his head in awe. "That's amazing. I'm assuming you specify the compression rate within the field?"

"The Supreme Commander designed this chamber based on the Replicators' modifications."

Jonas grinned approvingly. "Nice."

"If the DNA recombination works, we will proceed with the fertilization."

"You're going to do that today?" Janet asked.

"There is no reason to delay," Silje told them.

"What happens after that?" Jonas wondered out loud.

"It will be placed in a maturation chamber until it reaches sexual maturity," said Heimdall. He manipulated control stones on one of the lab consoles. Asgard text scrolled through a holographic projection, which Heimdall quickly analyzed. "Silje?"

The other scientist moved a couple of stones. "I have transported the cellular samples inside the chamber," she informed them.

"I guess we wait," Janet said with trepidation.

* * *

Sam looked around her mostly bare house. It reminded of her of the temporary housing her family used to dwell in before her father made General. All the basics were there, but it was stripped of anything personal.

While she still had some pictures of her family on the walls, anything of real importance had been smuggled into Jack's attic, ready to be displayed once they were officially together. He'd made noises about moving into a bigger house to accommodate their soon-to-be-expanding family. Well at least, she hoped it was soon. Her birthday would roll around soon, and it would be another year on her biological clock.

She set down her suitcase on her lonely bed, and proceeded to pull out the clothes inside to be put back into her drawers.

The room smelled disused, unlike the bedroom she shared with Jack. There, his scent permeated the room, mixed in with her own subtle perfume. Books, abandoned clothes and empty water tumblers littered the place. The covers were usually rumpled due to her sitting on them while typing on her laptop. If she pulled back the duvet, she knew she'd get a whiff of what they'd been doing that morning, and maybe the night before too.

She sighed, missing him already. They'd agreed after coming back from her promotion ceremony that it would be the last time they'd be together until she was out of his command. Daniel had stayed away that night, and they'd made the most of it by working their way around the house.

Their lovemaking had bordered on desperate, both knowing that it would have to last them for the coming dry spell. The next morning she'd packed her things and loaded them in the back of her car.

It was more than a week before she actually got home. Anubis's incursion into the SGC had them locked under the mountain until Colonel Vaselov had made the ultimate sacrifice. Daniel had taken it particularly hard, as he'd gotten to know the Russian Colonel during his stay in the infirmary. He'd gone home with Jack to recuperate from the General's well aimed shot - no doubt dropping occasional snarks to make Jack feel guilty - and she'd made her way back to her own place.

Once finished with her unpacking she left the suitcase inside her closet and went into the garage to turn the power back in the kitchen. The refridgerator hummed back into life, and she removed the wedge that had kept its door open.

Sam stared at the white appliance, before giving it a swift kick. She hated this fridge. It had come with the house, and she never had the chance to replace it. Her carefully chosen refrigerator was at Jack's house. _This one didn't even make ice, for crying out loud!_

She collapsed on her sofa, picking up one of the cushions, and clutched it to her chest for comfort. The first day would be the hardest, she'd known that. After months of being surrounded by people she loved, she was suddenly back on her own.

At least Jack still had Daniel who had a valid excuse to stay with him. No one would balk at their close friendship since it had existed even before the SGC was formally born. Daniel wasn't military, and Jack had no real influence in his career prospects apart from possibly firing him. That, of course, would never happen (unlike firing _at_ him). Not when Daniel was the foremost expert in Ancient at the facility.

The thought of calling Cassie to keep her company briefly crossed her mind, but then dismissed it as incredibly needy. She had to get used to being without her family if she was going to survive in Nevada. Those long interminable days made her feel even more depressed.

_But think of the payoff, Sam. Once it's over you can finally be with Jack. You can start planning that wedding, and start on the hockey team!_

She frowned at her mental meanderings.

While Jack hadn't technically proposed, she knew it was a given. There was no doubt in her mind that he would ask, and she would say yes. They'd have that huge wedding she'd secretly started imagining about. It was so completely out of character for her, never being the little girl who played with Barbie dolls or even the teenager who fantasized about her perfect wedding. She figured it was because she'd yet to meet the perfect man. Now that she had…

Sam jumped to her feet, the cushion bouncing off her lap to the floor. She'd been sitting there moping, wasting precious time.

It was going to be one of the most important days of her life, and she had absolutely nothing planned. Jack had joked about it, but… She shook her head, and searched for her keys. Spotting them on the kitchen counter, she grabbed her leather jacket, and headed for the door.

Two hours later, she was back in her house, Chinese take out on the coffee table with a glass of red, and a rapidly accumulating spreadsheet running on her laptop. The sofa cushion next to her was piled with various bridal magazines.

She'd gone a bit overboard with the glossies, but she believed in being prepared. The aisle at the chain bookstore had a whole section on wedding planning. She applied the same single minded determination that had her graduating at the top of her class and reaching her current rank to her new all-important task.

Her fingers continued to type furiously on the keyboard, listing all the necessary steps for achieving her perfect day. Her mind went to the weather, something she couldn't possibly control, then her mind went to the Touchstone device. I wonder if the Madronans would mind if I took a look at it again…

Midway to through the guest list, her doorbell rang. She sighed at the interruption, and went to the door. She turned on the porch light, looked through the peephole, and saw that it was Cassie.

Sam threw the door open, and stepped aside to let the young woman in. "This is a surprise."

"I was gonna go over to Jack's, then I realized you probably need my company more than they do right now," Cassie explained as she made her way to the living room, followed closely by Sam.

Sam noticed Cassie's curled hair and heavier makeup. "Were you out?"

"Uh, yeah, I was. Just went out to dinner with a friend," Cassie casually replied. She looked around the living room, noticing the mess on the sofa and coffee table. She bent down and picked up one of the magazines, her eyes widening. "Oh my god, _Saaaam_?" Her eyes went to Sam's left hand.

Sam raised her hand up and wiggled her empty ring finger. "Nothing to see yet, Cass."

"Then why…?" Cassie motioned at the various bridal magazines.

"Because I want to get married right away, the moment he officially pops the question. Weddings take months to plan and I want things to be perfect," Sam answered. She retook her seat, with Cassie choosing to sit on the lazyboy.

"Wow!" Cassie exclaimed. "This is so unlike you, it's unreal."

Sam merely grinned.

"Do you need any help?" Cassie asked after a moment.

"I'd love it," Sam replied, tossing her a magazine. "Look through that and see what kind of dress you and your mom would like to wear."

Cassie looked up at her, grinning. "Really? Me and mom?"

Sam shrugged. "I can't think of anyone better."

Cassie squealed and launched herself at Sam. The two women hugged each other in happiness. This was something Sam wanted more than anything, and having her whole family, especially Janet, by her side when she married the man she loved was more than she could ever ask for.

All that was left was for her to survive as leader of SG-1, make it to Nevada, and get transferred back to the SGC under Hammond's command. After that, it would be all plain sailing.

* * *

The sound of something hitting the front door managed to rouse Daniel from his bleary-eyed focus on the steaming cup of coffee. The brew was piping hot, and without his first hit of the day his brain felt like a zombie's. Perhaps even like a brain that had been eaten by a zombie.

He put the cup down on the kitchen counter and slowly made his way to the door. He wanted first dibs on the paper before Jack completely messed up the pages in his search for the sports section.

It was mid-October, and the air felt chilly this early in the morning. He braced himself for the cold before unlocking and opening the door. The cool breeze cut through his thin t-shirt and plaid pants, making his body shiver. He tiptoed to reach the morning paper, inadvertently stepping on a yellow envelope left on the porch steps.

"Crap," he said, picking up both the paper and the envelope, and hurrying inside.

He carried both objects back to the kitchen, setting them down on the counter next to his coffee, and grabbed the mug to let his hands appreciate the warmth.

He tested the drink with a sip, and found that it was now tolerably hot, just the way he liked it. After another sip, he picked up the envelope and hoped that nothing important or breakable was inside.

"Huh," he said after looking at the address label. Nothing. Not even a name.

His curiosity got the better of him, and he ripped it open, thinking he could always apologize to Jack, or whoever it was for, if it was something incredibly personal. It had no name, after all…

Daniel pulled out the contents, or content as it were; there was only a single item inside.

He stared at it for a few seconds, before turning it over in his hands.

Double crap.

He took a deep breath and hollered. "Jack!"

* * *

**Oooh, what could possibly have Daniel yelling like that? Any theories? **

**I'm currently writing missing scenes between Cassie and Paul and S/J in 'Lockdown'. It's part of the outtakes I mentioned a few chapters back which I won't be posting until I've finished PD. If you're interested in reading it before that, let me know either with your review or a PM, and I'll message (if you don't have an account, I'll e-mail) it to you.**


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